| ACT TWO FADE IN EXT/INT. FAITH'S ROOM - MORNING Buffy stops in front of Faith's door with two cups of coffee with her. She prepares to knock but: FAITH (OS) She ain't in. Buffy spots Faith--wearing the same outfit as the previous night--approaching. Faith pulls out a key and opens the door. BUFFY I brought coffee. INSIDE Buffy and Faith walk in. Faith shuts the door. BUFFY Missed you last night. FAITH Yeah, I was feelin' kinda off. Didn't mean to leave you hangin' like that...but you had the others. BUFFY (hopefully) I haven't been here long. Did you step out for a minute before-- FAITH --Actually, I'm just gettin' back...see? Faith points at her outfit. Buffy's defeated. BUFFY Oh. Who was it? FAITH Really none of your business. BUFFY You're right--it isn't. It's your life and there are some aspects that I have no standing to be a part of. What you do is fine as long as you're fine with it--and you're okay. FAITH Sums it up perfectly. You know B, I appreciate the caffeine booster, but I'm pretty tired so I'm gonna relax and check you out later. BUFFY Um--sure--yeah--no problem. Later. Faith nods. Buffy heads to the door and opens it. She looks back and gives a little wave before quietly exiting. Faith eyes the door for a few moments before sitting on the edge of the bed. She wraps her arms around herself. CUT TO: INT. SUNNYDALE HIGH, HALLWAY - DAY Dawn walks and spots Elle up ahead. She brightens up for a moment before seeing a JOCK conversing with Elle and Elle appearing to enjoy it. The Jock gives Elle a piece of paper and goes off. Dawn approaches Elle who notices. ELLE Hey. DAWN What was that about? ELLE Oh, you know, yet another victim of my lethal charm. We have biology together--he's first-rate. DAWN Ken Rickert? The guy who beat up Tommy Stanford for spilling water on his car. ELLE Nobody's perfect. DAWN You can do better...a ladybug could do better than Rickert. ELLE Okay...you know anyone that likes me and would want to be with me...in that cozy kinda way? Dawn thinks about it. Elle looks at Dawn almost imploringly. DAWN Um...there is better, the words just escape me right now. Gotta go. Bye. ELLE Have a good one--and keep thinking. Dawn holds Elle's gaze for a moment before leaving. Elle watches Dawn go and looks at the paper before SIGHING and looking back at Dawn. CUT TO: EXT. SUMMERS BACKYARD - DAY Willow and Dino hang out. DINO Did you see Buffy today? WILLOW She got up early to see Faith--with coffee. DINO Early morning coffee after freaking out the night before...I knew there was something about those two. WILLOW Explains a WHOLE LOT. I'm not Faith's biggest fan--not by a longshot--but I don't like the way this is going so far, even though in general I'm happy for Buffy. DINO Give it time--play itself out. WILLOW Should I stay? Skip L.A., in case Buffy needs me? DINO From what I heard, unusual relationships are her specialty. WILLOW Yeah, but Buffy's not the most emotionally reasonable person. Buffy walks out of the house and into the yard. BUFFY Hey guys...what's up? WILLOW Just hanging out. Old-fashioned hanging around in a comfortable, suitably-hangable place. DINO We're also figuring out ways to verbally address certain questions with more words than necessary. BUFFY I understand with electrifying completeness of epic proportions. Willow sticks her tongue out at both. DINO How's Faith? BUFFY I don't know. She was...abrasive and distant. WILLOW Probably just moodswings. BUFFY Triggered by me. WILLOW No reason to go blame yourself. BUFFY I uh...just don't know what to do. This rollercoaster thing we're doing is bringing me down. The way she makes me feel... Buffy trails off. Willow and Dino share a look. CUT TO: INT. DOWNTOWN BAR - EVENING Faith, Xander, and Anya enter and walk around. FAITH I'm tellin' ya, this is the kinda joint whatchamacallit would lounge around in. XANDER Dark, isolated, and seedy are vague criteria. ANYA (to Xander) Listen to Faith! Faith is the slayer and demands respect and right now you are showing ZERO respect to her. Shame on you. FAITH What she said. (to Anya) All that complementin' is really startin' to grow on me. ANYA I mean every syllable. Unlike so many others, I appreciate you in all your austentacious glory. XANDER (angrily; to Faith) Excuse us. Xander grabs a PROTESTING Anya and drags her to a private part of the bar. ANYA For the last time Xander, I don't like it rough. XANDER This has to stop. No more. ANYA What are you talking about? XANDER You fawning over Faith! It's getting to be ridiculous and embarrassing. ANYA Oh yeah...I've never stopped being an embarrassment to you, right Xander? XANDER Don't twist my words. You are a person that anyone would be proud to know. Not just woman or girlfriend, but PERSON. All the jokes in the world don't exemplify my feelings for you. ANYA What is this rambling all about then? You love me, I love you-- quit turning this into as large a nightmare as that stupid purple dinosaur. XANDER Do you listen to yourself? Or me? ANYA I hear you loud and clear Xander-- you're jealous of my thing for Faith which hit a dead end weeks ago. XANDER That's not stopping you from acting like a love-struck high-schooler. ANYA A state you know all too well. I've had to live with Buffy and Willow for 3 years knowing your history with them. That's a challenge. XANDER And I appreciate you more for it. But I never got anywhere with Buffy--Willow was like a blind man getting sight for a while and then realizing he liked it better before. ANYA Like you don't still fantasize about either or both of them. XANDER Idle fantasies that mean nothing. ANYA Faith is a fantasy, becoming real only in your jaded imagination. XANDER I know a thing or two about letting feelings get out of control--I thought this whole Faith-crush thing was funny and cute at first, but now... Xander can't finish the sentence. ANYA What? NOW what? XANDER Now I trust Faith more to respect OUR relationship than I do you. Anya's hit hard by that. ANYA I'm not some pixy nympho who can't keep her mouth shut and her legs closed. XANDER No, you're only human. Xander stares long and hard at Anya and heads back into the main area where, as he passes Faith: XANDER I'll scope another place--there's nothing here worth the time. Xander storms out. Anya joins Faith. FAITH Musta been a heartwarmin' discussion. CUT TO: EXT. EAST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT Buffy chases a GOBLIN GUY through the street. Goblin Guy turns sharply towards a driveway and runs into a yard with Buffy hot on his tail. He leaps into the air and cleanly clears a fence. Buffy follows suit and hops the fence as fast as possible. The chase continues through several more backyards and then ends up back in the street. As the Goblin Guy prepares to turn for a house, he ducks and rolls at the precise moment Faith swoops in. Faith misses the Goblin Guy and collides with Buffy, the latter YELPING. The duo rolls a few feet, coming to rest with Faith on laying on top of Buffy. The Goblin Guy speeds off. FAITH Son of a demon bitch. BUFFY Good one. FAITH Like I meant for this to be the result. BUFFY Knowing you, it probably was. Not like you could get me in this situation very often. FAITH That's presumin' you know me...don't fuckin' fool yourself. Just keep playin' the vanity card and be the self-absorbed bitch you are now and always have been. BUFFY What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were downtown. FAITH Got a tip the freak holed up in a basement in this area. Me and An showed a few blocks back and I... Faith shuts her eyes. Buffy's breathing quickens. BUFFY You...gonna finish that thought? FAITH Do I have to? BUFFY Is that rhetorical? Silence. Faith's breathing quickens now and her hand snakes its way to Buffy's belly. She scratches lightly causing Buffy to GASP and shuts her eyes. The moment is broken when someone CLEARS THEIR THROAT. The girls turn their heads to find a disgruntled Anya standing nearby. ANYA The least you could've done is catch the bad guy--and make sure I'M safe. The latter especially. Buffy and Faith look away guiltily. CUT TO: EXT. SUMMERS HOUSE - NIGHT Buffy and Faith walk along and up the path to the house. BUFFY So Xander stormed out after talking to Anya who coincidentally has a thing for you. FAITH Puttin' it in perspective, I'd say it's bad...and my fault. BUFFY Blaming YOU for being YOU is pushing it. She can't help it. FAITH She? BUFFY Anya. FAITH Right. They get to the door. Buffy unlocks and opens it. INSIDE Buffy enters as Faith hangs in the doorway. BUFFY We keep doing this. FAITH What's that? BUFFY Us--constantly running hot and cold. I've wanted to start over, clean slate but-- FAITH --It seems like we keep startin' over again and again and again... BUFFY I hate cleaning the house every other week, let alone that damn slate every other day. FAITH Sounds frustratin'. Hotel room cleans itself...but I will think about a new place--permanent. BUFFY Great. Silence. They shuffle awkwardly. Faith takes a deep breath. FAITH Buffy, I--um...I want you to know I care about you...and, you know other stuff like that. Buffy moves her mouth a few times, somewhat stunned. BUFFY (shakily) Thanks. FAITH (down) Yeah. Buffy wants to say something else and a downtrodden Faith perks up a little. BUFFY You wanna come in for a drink--or food? Dawn went shopping. FAITH That's all right. Not up for THAT. Buffy nods meekly. Faith hesitates. then leans in and softly kisses Buffy on the cheek. Buffy shivers slightly and Faith slowly moves away. FAITH 'Night. BUFFY (inaudibly) 'Night. Faith turns and leaves. She looks back as she goes and Buffy takes her time closing the door. Buffy leans back against the door then slides down and SIGHS before covering her face. END ACT TWO |
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