Episode 13 - The Waiting Room
ACT THREE
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAWN'S ROOM - DAY
from where we left off. Dawn on the bed, backing away
from the lizard demon warrior.
DAWN
(calling out)
Buffy!
The demon senses something and quickly turns around.
He gets knocked to the ground by a punch. We see Buffy
standing in Dawn's room, over the demon.
BUFFY
Already here.
Xander and the rest of the Scoobs are now at the door.
ANYA
Oh great! House guests!
The demon begins to stir.
BUFFY
(to Dawn)
Get downstairs now.
(to all)
Everyone. I got this covered.
The Scoobs rush downstairs, exiting.
Buffy steps on the demon as it tries to get up,
pinning him face-up to the ground.
BUFFY
Who are you? What do you want with
us?
The demon does not answer. Suddenly, we see an amazing
light show as hundreds of tiny points of light emerge
from the floor of the room and shoot up to the
ceiling, dissapearing into the ceiling. Buffy is
distracted by the show.
The demon grabs Buffy's leg and pulls it away, causing
Buffy to fall.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
The Scoobs gathered at the bottom of the stairs,
looking up, waiting for Buffy. Giles is still singing
on the couch, oblivious to the action.
DAWN
What's taking her so long?
XANDER
I'm going up.
A loud rumbling can suddenly be heard from Willow and
Tara's room. A bright blue flash comes from within.
Xander stops in his tracks.
WILLOW
(starting to approach the
room)
What was that?
DAWN
No, Willow. Don't.
WILLOW
It's okay. I'm just gonna have a
look.
Willow peers into the now silent room. She sees
hundreds of tiny light shooting up from the floor to
the ceiling. She turns to her right to see..
ANGLE : LIZARDY DEMON WARRIOR
snarling.
It knocks Willow back with its hand, sending her
tumbling back into the middle of Giles' apartment.
TARA
Willow!
As Tara rushes to Willow, the demon warrior steps into
the living room, spear in hand. Xander rushes at the
demon and they grapple. The demon gains the upper hand
and flings Xander flying off-screen to the right..
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAWN'S ROOM - DAY
as, from the left side of the screen, Buffy goes a
flying and slams into a wall to the right. She picks
herself up and rushes the demon, knocking it to the
ground. They grapple for a beat before Buffy manages
to get on its back, reaches around its neck and breaks
it with one clean movement.
She gets back up, takes a look at the demon and then
at the room which is now completely calm. No tremors,
no lights. Suddenly, the walls dissapear, eaten up by
darkness. The room begins to dissapear as the darkness
eats up the room, slowly at first, but soon speeding
up.
Buffy backs away from the room and into..
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE/UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY
as Buffy backs right into another lizardy demon
warrior who grabs her in a bear hug.
Buffy backs up hard into the walls, trying to shake
the demon loose. She finally manages to flip the demon
over her back and fling it to the ground. She looks up
to Joyce's room and sees the light show occuring in
there. The lights stop. Darkness creeps in, eating up
the room.
She looks back down the hallway to see the demon lying
groggily on the floor.
Half the hallway is now gone as the black quickly
catches up to the demon. The demon gets up and takes a
look at Buffy. The darkness engulfs it and the demon
is gone. Buffy backs away from all this as the
darkness gets closer and closer to her.
She backs away to the stairs as everything above the
stairs is engulfed by darkness. It then stops. Buffy
is left looking up from the stairs into a giant mass
of nothing. Just darkness.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
ANGLE : GILES
still crooning merrily away with his guitar.
As suddenly, in CLOSE UP, we see Xander's head slam
into a table in the foreground, right in front of
Giles. A demony hand on his neck.
Xander struggles to get the demon off. He takes a look
at the singing Giles.
XANDER
Little help?
From behind the demon, Anya smashes a cooking pot on
its head. The demon flings Xander away, turns and
starts to approach Anya. Anya backs away, still
holding on to the pot.
ANYA
(nervous, smily)
Did you say you wanted the
bouillabasse or the gazpacho? Cause,
I could go either way.
The demon raises its spear, ready to strike when
Buffy's hand enters into frame, grabbing the spear,
and breaking it near its tip. The demon turns to face
Buffy. Buffy jams the spear-head into the demon and
the demon falls to the ground, motionless.
We see the three groups of Scoobs getting to their
feet and slowly regaining their senses. Willow and
Tara, Xander and Anya and Buffy and Dawn.
DAWN
(to Buffy)
Are you okay? What happened?
BUFFY
I'm fine. It's more than I can say
for our rooms.
DAWN
What?
BUFFY
Gone.. zilcho.. big black hole of
nothing. It's like it's been eaten
up and..
WILLOW
(eyes bulging)
Amy! Miss Kitty!
Willow and Tara rush into their dorm room.
ANYA
(eyes bulging)
The toaster oven!
XANDER
An! Wait!
Anya rushes over to their room with Xander close
behind. She opens the door to see..
ANGLE : LIZARDY DEMON WARRIOR
hissing menacingly at her. We see the same light show
occuring in the background.
Anya quickly closes the door.
ANYA
We'll get another one.
The demon pounds on the door from the other side.
Anya, Xander and Buffy quickly back up to the door,
blocking it.
XANDER
An, all I'm asking is a bit of
perspective.. not a whole lot.. just
a smidgen.
INT. WILLOW AND TARA'S DORM - DAY
As Willow and Tara enter. The room is beginning to
dissapear. Tara quickly gathers up Miss Kitty as
Willow grabs Amy's cage.
Tara exits with Miss Kitty. Willow hesitates as she
sees the laptop on the table. Willow throws the cage
to Dawn at the doorway.
WILLOW
(to Dawn)
Catch!
TARA
Will. No!
Willow rushes to the laptop and grabs it, then goes to
the shelves to quickly grab as many magic books as she
can get. The darkness is very close to her now.
Tara grabs Willow and starts to drag her out.
TARA
Let's go!
The two rush out towards the door. Willow drops a book
on the way out. The darkness closing in fast.
Willow stops and reaches out for the book. Tara pulls
her away just as the darkness eats up the book.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
as Willow and Tara fall onto the floor from Tara's
pull. The darkness eats up everything in Willow and
Tara's room but stops at the doorway, just at Willow
and Tara's feet. The two stare at each other
breathlessly for a beat.
ANGLE : BUFFY, XANDER AND ANYA
still backed up against the door, trying to keep the
demon out.
Suddenly, the pounding at the door stops and the dead
demon body in the living room dissapears. A silent
beat as Xander, Buffy and Anya stare at each other.
Buffy steps away from the door.
BUFFY
(to Xander and Anya)
It's okay. It's over.
Xander and Anya slowly step away from the door as
Buffy opens it. She looks into the black empty mass of
darkness which has engulfed Xander and Anya's room. We
slowly PUSH IN on the darkness as it fills the screen.
We FADE UP to a different scene, at a later time.
Willow at the laptop on the table. Tara next to her
and the rest of the Scoobs gathered loosely around
them. We see a gemstone next to the laptop on the
table. Giles is in the kitchen in the background,
still oblivious to all the action. He is now doing
some research, one hand holding a book while the other
does some washing up.
WILLOW
(reading off the laptop)
It's the Gem of Oman. It's like some
sort of stone the Chatzi demons use
in a religious ritual.
XANDER
(nervous, looking a little
sweaty)
Ritual.. like sacrifice?
WILLOW
Why is that always the first thing
that comes into your mind when
someone says ritual?
XANDER
Experience.
WILLOW
Well, this is different. See, these
demons go through stages in their
lives. At the end of their first
stage, they cross over from one
dimension to another, where they
live out their second stage.
DAWN
What, like a bonus round?
TARA
Something like that. The gemstone
creates a portal, a temporary
transition area where they cross
over to the next dimension.
WILLOW
They usually use it in caves.. at
least somewhere dank and dark, you
know, less residential?
BUFFY
Where do they go to?
WILLOW
Who knows? Ask a Chatzi demon.
BUFFY
What about the skinky demons? What
are they? Party crashers?
TARA
Actually, that would be us.
WILLOW
Best I can tell, they're summoned to
protect the demony lights as they
cross over.
ANYA
What, you mean we're the intruders
here? Great. Now I feel terrified
and guilty. It's like shoplifting,
but.. without the kick.
XANDER
Well, okay. But what's with the big
black scenery chewing?
WILLOW
The portals created by the gems are
only temporary. It collapses as soon
as the transfer has been completed.
ANYA
(with dread)
Collapses? Into what? That big,
scary, black empty space? I don't
want to go there. I hate mystery
flights.
DAWN
Why don't we just throw the gem
away? You know, into the big black
hole?
ANYA
Or we could just destroy it. I find
destruction is always fairly
effective.
TARA
The portal we're in? It'll collapse
immediately, taking us with it.
ANYA
Okay, let's not do that then.
The room trembles for a beat. The Scoobs collectively
hold their breaths. The trembling stops.
BUFFY
Okay, we better push the lever up to
hasty. How do we get out of here?
WILLOW
Giles.. We need to get through to
him. He has to create a door to get
us out of this portal before it
collapses.
TARA
We found this spell that we can use.
See, this portal and Giles' room is
still linked. That's why we can
still see and hear him. I think we
can contact him, so long as he stays
in this room.
ANYA
Well! What are you waiting for?
Dial!
Tara and Willow look at each other and nod. They face
each other on the couch, close their eyes and join
hands.
WILLOW/TARA
Across the oceans, across the seas..
WILLOW
Let him hear us..
TARA
Let him see us..
WILLOW/TARA
Open a channel and send our pleas.
Tara and Willow open their eyes.
XANDER
(panicy claustraphobia)
That's it? No light show, no sparkly
power? How's that gonna work?
Buffy walks over to Giles at the kitchen.
BUFFY
Giles? Giles?
No response. Buffy turns back to Willow. Willow grabs
a magic book from a pile.
WILLOW
Maybe I read it wrong. Gimme a sec.
Xander slumps down on the couch, devastated.
XANDER
(freaking out)
Oh God! The walls are closing, the
walls are closing. Relax.. breathe..
Xander lies back, feet up on the couch. Trying to
relax.
XANDER
Happy thoughts. Wide open spaces..
Big blue sky.. I'm like a bird..
Giles suddenly finishes up in the kitchen and grabs a
coat. He starts heading towards the front door.
ANYA
(chasing after Giles, to
Willow)
He's leaving! He's leaving!
WILLOW
Sshh. I know. Just let me check..
ANYA
(getting in Giles' face as
he readies to leave)
You can't leave! I had all these
plans for the store. I was going to
expand our business.. diversify..
INT. GILES' REALITY/APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
Giles continuing to ready to go out. Completely quiet,
completely alone.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
ANYA
I wanted to build a chain of magic
stores and crush those little
upstart family stores that dared to
threaten my monopoly.
Giles is at the door, about to turn the key. Anya
stands right next to him and practically yells..
ANYA
You were supposed to leave me the
store!
GILES
Not bloody likely.
A hushed beat. Giles suddenly realising he's hearing
voices. Scoobs suddenly realising he can hear voices.
All at once, Buffy, Dawn, Anya, Willow and Tara rush
up to Giles and start calling him. A cacophony of
'Giles!!'. Xander still at the couch, too freaked out
to join in.
INT. GILES' REALITY/APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
As Giles backs against the door, bewildered. Looking
wildly around the room.
ANGLE ON : LIVING ROOM
from Giles' POV as he scans the empty room.
SCOOBS (V.O.)
(collectively)
Giles! Giles!
INT. GILES' APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy notices Giles' expression.
BUFFY
Everyone quiet! You're gonna freak
him out!
GILES
(looking at empty air)
Buffy?
BUFFY
Giles, it's me. It's us.
GILES
Buffy?
BUFFY
We're trapped in this weird portal
dimension thing.. we need your help.
GILES
(still trying to figure
things out)
Buffy?
BUFFY
Okay, for a watcher who's seen
everything, you're dissapointingly
slow on the uptake.
GILES
Well, I can't possibly be expected
to.. Buffy?
ANYA
(frustraty, let's get on
with this!)
Yes, Buffy. Bigger than a breadbox
Buffy, smaller than everyone else in
the room Buffy.
Buffy takes a quick look at herself and everyone else.
Quick sizing up.
INT. GILES' REALITY/APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
As Giles takes another look around the room. The spell
begins to take full effect.
ANGLE ON : LIVING ROOM
from Giles' POV, as Buffy materialises in front of
him, then Anya.. and Dawn..
INT. GILES' APARTMENT/LIVING ROOM - DAY
A relieved face crosses Giles' face as he finally
sees.
GILES
Buffy.. Anya.. Dawn.. Xander, get
your feet off my couch.. Willow..
Tara. What on earth is happening?
BUFFY
We're in trouble.
Buffy turns to look at something on the table.
ANGLE : THE GEMSTONE
pulsating from blue to purple.. One stage from black.
INT. THE MAGIC WAND / A BACK ROOM - NIGHT
Where we see Eddie Poggs, sitting down on a chair,
gleefully counting his day's takings on a table. We
see a large figurine of a head sitting on the table.
Wearing a top hat, smoking a cigar and wearing a bow
tie, its face is frozen in an abnormally wide smile
and a mischevious wink.
EDDIE POGGS
(to the figurine)
Hi Ho! Mr Bow! Look at what Eddie
went and done today! Currency cures
all ills.
(sticking a note in Mr
Bow's bow-tie)
Here's twenty. Go get yourself a
nice, shiny glaze.
Mr Bow silently accepts the cash, forever winking at
Eddie.
EDDIE POGGS
(to himself, staring at
the oodles of cash in
front of him)
You've really hit the mother-lode
this time Eddie! Nothing's gonna
stop you now.
On cue, we hear a large whack on the door as an axe
strikes through it. The axe dissapears as someone
pulls it back. Eddie freezes at his chair, unsure of
what's happening.
A second large whack, as the axe makes a much larger
hole in the door. This time, Eddie jumps up from his
seat. We see a hand reach in and unlock the door
through the hole.
The door suddenly flies open and two clowns (Eddie's
assistants) come flying through it. A blur of ruffles
and large floppy feet. The clowns land in a pile of
boxes and don't get up.
We see Giles, in full Ripper mode, step through the
door, carrying one very large axe. Eddie runs, but
not terribly effectively, what with the baggy,
oversized pants and the large (and squeaky) floppy
feet.
Giles grabs hold of Eddie and flings him against the
wall. He gets into his face.
EDDIE POGGS
Hi Rupert. Is this a social visit or
more of a business thing?
Giles sticks the blade of the axe under Eddie's neck.
EDDIE POGGS
Wait, I'll talk! I'll talk!
GILES
Oh, you'll do much more than that..
chummie.
EDDIE POGGS
You're not really gonna hit a clown
are you?
Giles punches Eddie in the face.. once.
EDDIE POGGS
Ow! My mistake.
GILES
Let's get this face off and see who
we're dealing with.
Giles tries to pull of Eddie's big, red nose but finds
it attached rather strangely to his face.
EDDIE POGGS
Ooowwww!
GILES
That's your real nose?
EDDIE POGGS
This is my real human form. They
told me to choose a human face when
they sent me here. So, I thought,
clowns.. right? They're funny, and
happy and beloved by all? Great for
business! Who knew about the
associated stigma? I mean, it's not
like they publish these things..
Tired of the talk, Giles grabs Eddie's nose and starts
to pull him off the ground with it.
EDDIE POGGS
(blocked nose talk)
Off topic! Off topic! I get it! I'll
shut up!
GILES
You sent them there. Now, I know
you're going to be terribly
reasonable and do all you can to
help me get them back.
EDDIE POGGS
What are you talking about?
Giles tugs on the nose a little harder.
GILES
Believe me, now is not the time to
play games.
EDDIE POGGS
Hi Ho! I really don't know!
Giles appraises Eddie for a beat. He lets go off his
nose.
GILES
You really don't do you?
EDDIE POGGS
(rubbing his nose)
Listen Bud. I just work here. I
don't know nothing about magic. I
sell the rabbit, I sell the hat. I
leave it to the customer to pull one
from the other.
GILES
Well, those gems you gave us sent my
friends.. my family to a dimension
which could collapse upon itself at
any moment.
EDDIE POGGS
Really? Geez, if I had known that, I
would've kept them for myself to
sell under the counter.
Giles lifts his axe towards Eddie's neck
threateningly.
EDDIE POGGS
Sorry! Sorry! I can't help it. I'm a
businessman. It's what I do.
GILES
You and I are going to have a look
through your inventory, and so help
me, if everything I need isn't
here..
EDDIE POGGS
Oh! You need some ingredients for a
spell! I can help you with that. And
I'll offer them to you at a cheap
rate, say 15 percent off?
(glare from Giles)
Okay, 30 percent.
Giles twists Eddie's arm around his back.
EDDIE POGGS
Ow! Okay, take them. Take them all!
Man, it's always the harmless
looking ones.
GILES
(dragging Eddie away to
the shelves)
And after all this is over, you and
I are going to have a little chat
about the future of this shop.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
ANGLE : THE GEMSTONE
now placed on the kitchen counter. It is a solid
purple in colour.
WIDEN:
to reveal Anya sitting at the counter, keeping a close
watch on the gemstone. Her pan sitting close by on top
of the counter. There is a low rumbling as the room
suddenly shakes. Anya has to hold on to the pan to
stop it from falling off the counter. The rumbling
stops. Anya takes a few nervous looks around.
We see a hand placed on Anya's shoulder. We WIDEN
further to reveal Buffy behind Anya, reassuring her.
Anya smiles and goes back to staring at the amulet.
Buffy walks off, carrying a knife with her.. ever
ready.
We PAN to Willow at the fridge as she stuffs some ice
into a plastic bag. She walks past Anya to the living
room.
We see Xander still lying down on the couch, feet up.
Willow lifts Xander's legs off the couch so she can
sit down. She then places Xander's legs on her lap as
she hands him the ice.
WILLOW
Here. I'm not even sure this ice is
real but since I'm thinking that
everything you're feeling is pretty
much psychosomatic anyway..
XANDER
Hey!
WILLOW
Sorry. I'm just..
Another tremor hits the room. More nervous glances.
XANDER
Yeah, I know..
ANGLE : BUFFY
in a corner, listening in on Willow and Xander.
ANGLE : WILLOW AND XANDER
WILLOW
Is it always gonna be like this? You
know, weekly visits from Mr Reaper
and his gal pals, Miss Hap, Miss
Zery and Miss Fortune?
Xander takes a look at an obviously worried Willow. He
sits up.
XANDER
It's the Scooby life Will. You gotta
take the highs with the lows.
Sometimes, it's great.. you know,
saving the world, doing good..
truth, justice and the American way.
But sometimes, you just gotta ride
that ol' elevator right down to the
bottom floor.
ANGLE : BUFFY
as she quietly slips away, walking off.
XANDER
At the risk of straining a metaphor,
you gotta remember that it doesn't
have to stay down there. There's
always a button to press that will
take you all the way back up again.
And, you know, wherever you are,
we're right there with you. We got
each other to hang on to.
Willow smiles and kisses Xander on the forehead.
WILLOW
You're right.. That metaphor was at
snapping point.
XANDER
Everything okay?
WILLOW
Things are just a little wiggy
between me and Tara. It's like,
recently, when I reach out to touch
her, like I always do, she's just, I
don't know, a little further away?
Willow turns to look at Tara sitting with Dawn at
the dining table at the other end of the room.
WILLOW
It feels like she's a step further
away from me each day.
XANDER
Maybe you should just take a step
forward, you know, for every step
she takes back?
WILLOW
See, the thing is, there's a part of
me that wants her to take those
steps. Because, if she takes enough
of them, maybe one day, she'll be
out of Sunnydale.. away from
Solomon..
(looking around)
away from all this. Away from me.
She'd be safe.
(a contemplaty beat)
Xander, I don't know what to do.
Xander puts an arm around Willow as Willow leans on
his shoulder.
We PAN over to Dawn and Tara at the dining table, on
the other side of the room. The two are thumb-
wrestling. Dawn pins Tara's thumb.
DAWN
I win!
Another rumble in the room. Both look up nervously.
Tara looks at a scared Dawn.
TARA
C'mon. That last win was a fluke.
Two out of three?
Dawn smiles and nods. The two begin to thumb-wrestle
again.
PAN over to Buffy, by the door leading to what was
Xander's room. She looks at Dawn and Tara for a beat,
then to all the Scoobs, as another tremor hits the
room.
She turns to the door and quietly opens it. She stands
in front of the big, black empty space.. just staring
into it. She reaches out with a hand, nervously at
first.. then with some determination, she extends her
hand into the darkness. Her hand dissapears.
She leaves her hand in there for a beat before slowly
pulling it out again. She looks down at her hand, then
back into the black hole.
ANYA (O.S.)
(yelling)
Purple! Black! Purple! Black!
Buffy turns to see Anya backing away from the gem.
ANGLE : THE GEMSTONE
on the counter, which is indeed pulsating from purple
to black.
Large tremors hit the room now and various items fall
off walls and shelves. The Scoobs gather in the centre
of the room.
DAWN
Where's Giles?
BUFFY
Don't worry. He'll get here. We just
have to stay together until he does.
Everyone get ready!
More heavy tremors. The Scoobs struggle to stay on
their feet.. now bunched together in a tight group
with Dawn protected in the middle.
Suddenly three lizardy warrior demons materialise
around the Scoobs, all carrying spears.
ANGLE : BUFFY
a little stunned, not expecting three.
ANGLE : A LIZARDY DEMON WARRIOR
as it takes a look around the room, then turns to see
Buffy. It hisses and lunges off-screen, towards the
Gang.
BLACKOUT
END OF ACT THREE
CONTINUE TO ACT FOUR