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by Veggieburger *Writers Choice Ep: VKMax*
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Date Posted: 14:27:35 03/02/04 Tue
Author Host/IP: 62.252.0.6
PLAYBACK by Veggieburger
INT: WES'S APARTMENT
The camera pans across a disastrously messy apartment living room - it is littered with boxes, packed and unpacked, books and papers strewn everywhere.
The camera follows into an incredibly littered bedroom. Clothes, CDs and various "stuff" are tossed on the bed, making it unusable. A small boom box/radio sits on the bed - a generic "Britney" style pop song is playing on a Top 40 station.
Wes sits at a cluttered desk in front of his laptop , talking to someone on his cell phone. He looks scruffier than ever, as if he's almost given up on taking care of himself.
WES (on the phone)
Bill! It's Wes. (pause) Wyndom Pryce. (pause) Your former employer. Yes, the demon hunter, that's right. How would you like to come back to work for me? (pause) Well, a better job is good, I'm glad for you. (pause) Yes, I know I owe you back wages. (pause) No, I'm not looking. (pause) No, I don't think pizza delivery is on my career track, but it's kind of you to ask. Well, keep in touch. (hangs up, mutters to himself.) I wonder if there's a high school in
Cleveland that needs a librarian.
Wes rubs his eyes wearily. When he opens them, he notices that one of the two sliding closet doors is slightly ajar. Wes tries to ignore this for a moment, looking back down at his papers. He fidgets a bit - we see that the partially
open closet door "bugs" him.
We see from Wes's POV that the closet looks dark inside. We see a sudden flash of furtive movement behind the slightly open closet door. Wes sees it too and startles, then shakes it off.
Wes looks down at his papers and we see two yellowish glowing eyes peer at him from the darkness of his closet. Wes looks up and sees them too. He gets up very nervously and shuts the ajar door, but accidentally pulls the other sliding door partially open in the process. We see a very quick glimpse of a small grotesque figure that moves to the other side of the closet.
Wes steps away, obviously frightened - uncharacteristic for a big bad demon hunter. He collects himself and nervously shuts both doors. He steps back from the closet and sits back at his desk.
The lights go out suddenly. The room is now moonlit through a window.
Wes hears a scratching sound behind the closet door. He stands and backs away from the closet slowly - we see pure terror on his face. He fumbles with the light switch and the lights come on. He breathes a sigh of relief. Then he
hears a familiar voice behind him.
WES'S FATHER
Afraid of the darkness. How old are you now?
Wes's father strides to the closet and throws both doors open. We see nothing but clothes. Wes's face is full of terror.
WES'S FATHER
You've got to learn to deal with darkness, boy.
Wes's father strides to the door and turns off the lights.
WES (his voice like a little boy's)
No, dad. Leave the lights on. Please.
The lights go on by themselves. Wes shakes himself, trying to throw off what he believes was a hallucinatory episode. He turns off the radio and goes into the living room, taking his cell phone. He sits on the couch facing the TV. His cell phone rings and he is so startled, the phone sails out of his hand and into a fish tank where a moderate size goldfish floats upside down.
WES (looking at the fish, dismayed)
Oh dear.
David Borenanaz
Vincent Karthieser
Amy Acker
J August Richards
James Marsters
Stephanie Romanov
and Alexis Denisof
Special Guest Stars
Andy Hallet and Alyson Hannigan as Willow
Guest Starring
Trevor Lisseaur
EXT: Hollywood Blvd., outside a raucus club.
INT: A "Linkin Park" style band is playing screaming anger-powered music. Kids near the stage are crowd-diving off the stage. Others slam each other around, mosh-pit style.
CLOSE: On Connor climbing onto the stage. He crowd-dives but instead of hitting the waiting hands, he aims (and hits) the floor. He gets up and does it again. He is sweating and pumped up with angry energy. As he gets up from the floor, a bouncer grabs him and hauls him to the door.
BOUNCER
Man, you keep throwing yourself on the floor. The band that good or are you that angry?
CONNOR
Best friend just died. (spins and kicks a trash can with so much power it flies)
BOUNCER
You know what? Get yourself together and come back when you feel a little less destructive.
Connor shakes his head yes violently, lurches out into the street, occasionally punching something or hurling his body against a brick or concrete wall. He goes like this for a half a block until he seems to exhaust himself. Sits on a bus bench, shivering with energy and rage.
A "punkish" girl passes by, on her way to the club Connor just left. She stops and talks to him.
GIRL
You okay?
CONNOR
Yeah, fine.
GIRL
You pumped?
CONNOR
Whaddaya mean?
GIRL
You know, Ecstacy? Club drug? Are you bouncin?
CONNOR
I don't take club drugs.
GIRL
If you just came out of the Snake Pit, you got dosed. Whether you know it or not. I love it, myself. I can dance all night. You going back? You're cute.
Connor shakes his head. A bus stops in front of him and he gets on the bus, just to get away from the girl and the raucus scene.
INT: Bus
CONNOR (to driver)
Where does this bus go?
DRIVER (feeling sarcastic)
To the end of the world.
CONNOR
Good. Just where I wanna go.
Connor strides to the back of the bus. The bus is full of low-life - smelly bums hoping to catch a nap on the long ride, mentally ill wanderers, and a few tired grave shift workers. Connor sits in the very last row of seats, props his feet up on the seat, leans with his back against
the window. He glares at the other passengers with a look that plainly says "Don't mess with me, I'm feeling testy".
BUM (mid row, to himself)
Man, the scum you see on busses these days!
Connor hides his eyes behind his hand, but his trembling lip shows he is fighting off a wave of grief. He wipes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and seems to drift off.
CLOSE: On Connor's face, dozing.
A rider turns on a boom box radio he carries with him. "Hear My Tears" plays.
DRIVER (shouts)
Hey, turn that crap off!
RIDER (shouts)
Eat me! (turns it up louder)
The driver just shrugs and rolls his eyes.
CLOSE: Connor opens his eyes.
He is startled to see he is tied to a tree in what looks like a hostile jungle environment. No one else is around him. The air is full of sounds - bird calls, growls, shuffling movement. Connor struggles against his bonds. His lip quivers then he seems to collect himself.
CONNOR (child-like voice)
Remember what you learned.
He sucks in his breath to loosen the bonds around his chest. They fall a bit but not enough. He uses his hands to try to pull the bonds down and sucks in his breath some more. A nasty growling animal sound is heard.
Connor struggles harder now, panicking. A nasty sort of slimly, draggy sound is heard approaching him, like something from a horror movie.
CLOSE: On Connor's frightened face. He screams bloody murder.
CLOSE: On Connor waking in the bus, screaming bloody murder.
CLOSE: On the driver.
DRIVER
Crap, why do I get all the psychopaths?
PULL BACK: to reveal the other passengers are also going crazy, reacting to the song.
The driver grabs his dispatch phone, talks into it.
DRIVER
Hey, dispatch. Call 911. Again.
INT W/H Lobby, Next day
Willow and Fred are walking past the lobby shops. Willow holds a Victorian style porcelain doll which she just purchased.
FRED
So you spoke with Angel last night.
WILLOW
He was pretty clear that he wants to leave, Fred. I can't say I blame him. You know, he's gotta do what he's gotta do, and so do you. If it's right for you to stay here - (she shrugs, then proudly holds up her doll). What do you
think of Margaret?
FRED (turns a bit ashen)
You named her Margaret?
WILLOW
No, that's the name on the tag. So.you don't like the name Margaret?
FRED
I had a sister named Margaret. Madge. She died when I was about 11. Heart failure. She was 17.
WILLOW
Oh god, that's awful. Oh, I'm so sorry. (holds up the doll, trying to divert Fred from the unhappy topic) I'll rename her. I love collectible dolls.
FRED (shies away from it with a strong look of dislike)
I know you'll think this sounds crazy, but I've always hated dolls. They're creepy to me.
WILLOW (sweetly)
Sorry. I'm pushing all the wrong buttons today, aren't I, sweetie.
They enter a women's restroom. The "powder room" is separated from the cubicles. Willow sits the doll on the "powder room" sink area and goes off to a stall.
There is piped-in music in the powder room. It's playing the same pop song we heard in Wes's apartment.
Fred looks at the doll and we see her POV - the doll's face appears distorted, frightening. We see it turn it's head toward Fred. Fred looks away and begins to nervously wash her hands. We see the doll's face become more malevolent.
Fred sees this and scrubs her hands more vigorously. The doll now seems alive and positions itself on hands and knees and starts to crawl toward Fred like an
infant. Fred freaks, backs up and bumps into a terribly thin teenage girl who is vomiting into the sink. Fred spins around and says
FRED
Madge
MADGE
Hey, sissy. Don't tell mom and dad I threw up, OK?
FRED
But you're sick!
MADGE
No, I'm okay. I make myself do this. These big family dinners - mom and dad would kills us with kindness if we let `em. This is our little secret, okay, little baby doll?
Willow comes back out and washes her hands. She notes Fred's pallor and look
of distress.
WILLOW
You don't look good. (more concerned) You're all pale and clammy.
FRED (dismissing it)
Low blood sugar. It happens sometimes.
(Willow rummages in her purse and pulls out a very crushed and half melted
chocolate bar).
WILLOW
Will candy help?
Fred's beeper goes off and makes her jump. She looks at it. Willow retrieves her now normal-looking doll which is sitting in the corner where Willow put it.
FRED
Gotta go into a meeting.
INT: CONFERENCE ROOM
Fred enters a conference room, followed by Gunn who looks very spiffy and very annoyed. Lorne is already seated across from Preston and two employees we've never seen before.
GUNN
We have a case?
PRESTON
We have a problem. Well, a situation. (looks at Lorne) Actually, this is an Entertainment Division matter.
GUNN (irritated)
Then why was I called into this meeting?
PRESTON
You're part of Team Angel.
GUNN (looks around the table)
Hmnn. What's missing here from Team Angel? Could it be,oh, Angel? Funny I don't see Wes either. And if this isn't a security concern, you ain't gonna be seeing me either.
FRED
Charles, let's see what the case is at least.
GUNN (looks at Lorne, who is looking over Preston's file)
So what's the crisis? Kid Rock and Pam break up?
Lorne looks like he's about to say something sarcastic, then doesn't.
LORNE
You're right, Charles. You don't need to be here unless we require your expertise.
GUNN (gets up to leave)
Damn right.
PRESTON (to Gunn)
Remember - there's no "I" in "Team".
GUNN
No, but there's an "I" in "I'm gonna kick your ass from here to Sunday, you little runt, if you ever waste my time again. (leaves)
LORNE (to Preston)
Sorry, Preston. I believe calling you a little runt is prohibited by our hostile workplace policy.
PRESTON
Like water off a duck's back. Are we on for business here?
FRED
So what do we have here?
PRESTON
A former client of ours, Pipi Piper, seems to have resurfaced. She's got the most downloaded song on the Internet, "Hear My Tears". The damn song is everywhere, you can't escape it.
LORNE
So it's this year's "La Vida Loca". Why is that bad?
EMPLOYEE #1
The file you're holding - those are lawsuits claiming wrongful death attributable to the influence of "Hear My Tears." The plaintiffs are claiming the song induced certain individuals to commit suicide, but they look more like freak accidents to our legal team.
LORNE
I take it you're from Legal?
PRESTON
Oh, I'm sorry - let me introduce you. This is one of our attorneys.
LORNE
An actual lawyer? At W/H? I'm speechless!
PRESTON (points to the other)
And Mr. Paxton is from PR - they have a lot of spin to do. You see, this artist is no longer associated with our client's label but we can't prove it because we can't trace where the recording is coming from. Someone, somewhere
is producing this song, distributing it, and marketing it for one of our clients without their participation and putting the client in a position of liability.
LORNE
Are you in contact with the artist?
PRESTON
Well, that's the other thing. She disappeared about five years ago.
FRED
You know, I hate to be fussy, but this case doesn't really involve the
science division. (Lorne looks at her, disappointed). I'm sorry, Lorne. If I can help you in any way.
LORNE
I'll let you know, pumpkin. You run along. Blow something up for me.
Fred leaves
LORNE (to Preston)
They're both a little preoccupied lately. You know, Lacey and Knox - we're all taking it hard. Just leave the material. I'll look it over.
Preston and the other two employees leave.
LORNE (under his breath)
Team Angel. All falling apart.
INT: Hospital room., that night.
Connor awakes, strapped down to a hospital bed. His mother strokes his forehead.
MOTHER
Oh, baby. I'm so sorry. I think this whole tough love thing kinda backfired. Come home, honey. Let's start all over. And I'm sorry about your friend. I really am.
CONNOR (childlike in his grief)
I wanna go home, mom. I wanna go home.
INT: LORNE'S RESIDENCE, same night.
Fred and Willow have joined Aden and Lorne in Lorne's living quarters on the 9th floor, clustered around a couch and coffee table. Willow, Aden, and Fred knock
back beers, while Lorne drinks a mixed drink. Photos and other material are strewn on the coffee table.
LORNE (to the girls)
Hey, thanks for coming over, you guys.
ADEN
Yeah, god forbid Lorne should be all alone with his boyfriend.
WILLOW (delighted)
Are you guys official?
At the same time -
LORNE ADEN
No. Yes
WILLOW
Ahhh. You guys should do something.
LORNE
Yeah, I was thinking of asking Aden to the prom.
Aden swats him, annoyed.
LORNE
There's something I want your opinion on.
He pops in a videotape of a little girl, no more than 4 years old, tap dancing and singing in a child talent contest.
FRED
Cute little moppet
WILLOW
Poor little kid
LORNE
Pipi Piper, child star. One of the highest paid performers in a sitcom by
the age of six.
ADEN
And an empire by the age of ten. Check it out. Her own magazine, recording contract, clothing line. And then she drops off the face of the earth at nineteen..
We see Pipi's career progression thru the tape, from dancing moppet to sitcom star to a perky 16 year old teen idol singer. Then we see a series of news magazine stories that depict a rapid decline into substance abuse and wild
behavior. The final story details her most recent failed attempt at rehab at the age of nineteen, and a court battle with her mother for control of her
career.
WILLOW
How long ago was that?
LORNE
About five years ago. Her label let her go after she embarrassed herself at a music awards show.
FRED
So, she's trying to make a comeback. Other artists have done it.
WILLOW
What's the song sound like? I haven't heard it yet.
Aden puts a CD into a portable player and it plays the now familiar "Hear My Tears". He only plays a snippet, not the whole song.
ADEN
For a song that's everywhere, I had a hard time finding it . I had to burn a copy off the Internet onto a CD.
LORNE
Oh, brave new world that has so much illegally downloaded music in it.
FRED
Sounds harmless enough.
LORNE (to Willow)
Kitten, the reason I asked you over is because I want your professional witchy opinion. I want you to tell me if you think the song is cursed.
FRED
Cursed! Oh, c'mon.
ADEN
Pop music lore is full of tales of cursed songs. "Blue Monday", "Without You".
FRED
I don't know that song, how does it go?
LORNE
Oh, yeah, like I'm gonna sing a few bars? I don't think so!
They continue to listen to the rather bland pop song.
INT: ANGEL'S (former) OFFICE at W/H:, same night, same time Angel stands inside the office, looking out the window. Lilah comes in quietly behind him.
LILAH
Thought you left, boss. Or should I say, former boss.
ANGEL
Soon to be former boss. Just picking up some things.
LILAH
Just taking one last look out the necro-tempered windows, you mean.
ANGEL (turns to her)
I know who I am and what I'm here to do now, Lilah.
LILAH
Well, I'm glad you've had such an epiphany, Angel.
ANGEL (now aware of the piped-in music- guess what it's playing.)
And I won't miss the damned Muzak either.
LILAH
Muzak! You really are behind the times. That's an Internet radio station - soft pop and top 40. Piped in through some kind of computerized system. HR thought it would have some kind of soothing effect on the staff. Do you need any help clearing out of here, cuz if I can make your exit any faster -
ANGEL
I'm thinkin' you're the one that should make a fast exit.
Lilah starts to leave the room - she pauses at the door as if for one final parting shot, then reconsiders and just leaves.
Angel turns to look out the window again, but finds he's standing outside of his childhood home in Galway. It is 1747 - "Black `47", the worst year of the Great
Famine. Angel sees himself as Liam at about 20-21 years old. He staggers, drunk andhorrified, thru a nightmare scene of fields full of dead and dying people and rotted potato crop. In the distance, the ocean is visible and a
ship is sinking. Coffins bob like buoys at the shoreline. Liam staggers into his home where he sees his father, mother, and sister sobbing. Four dead men - young but older than Liam, probably ranging from 22 to 30 years old - sit as if
propped up at an empty dinner table.
LIAM'S FATHER
Where have you been, boy! Out there again! We need you here!
KATHY (Liam's sister)
It's Ian, Liam. He died of typhus on the coffin ship!
Liam's mother throws her arms around her much bigger son.
LIAM'S MOTHER
You're the only man of the house now, Liam, save for your poor father.
My four other boys are all dead.
LIAM'S FATHER
And what are you doing instead of helping your family? You're out there (points outside). When it's your family you should be helping. I hope you don't fail your own son the way you've failed me.
LIAM'S MOTHER (strokes Liam's face)
You can't save them all, Liam.
LIAM'S FATHER
You can't save any of them! Give them up! Leave them to God!
LIAM
Father, I'm trying. I want to be a good son. Why won't you let me help them?
LIAM'S FATHER
You can't even help yourself. All you can do is drink and satisfy your cravings. You don't know what you want. To be a foul drinking beast, or a savior, neither of which are
any damn good to me and your poor family!
LIAM
I can't stand the sight ot it!! Such a terrible hunger! Such terrible, terrible...
ANGEL (back in his modern office, goes into game face)
...terrible hunger. I can't save them all. I can't save any of them.
His reverie is broken by a shout, gun fire, and a scream from outside. Angel realizes where he is. He looks outside his office and sees Lilah running back toward him, fleeing someone. A security guard, crazed by the cursed song, is
shouting something in Spanish about the Day of the Dead, and firing his pistol toward Lilah. Angel pushes Lilah into his office and uses his vampire powers to quickly subdue the guard. Lilah comes back out of the office.
GUNN (Offscreen, sounds of running footsteps)
What the hell's going on? Anybody hurt? Damn it, I upgraded the whole security system
and this happens?
Lilah and Angel hear Gunn's footsteps and start to run down the hallway toward the sound. Along the way, they pass an Asian woman, part of the janitorial staff, who furiously scrubs the same spot over and over and cries, speaking in
Chinese. Lilah and Angel run into Gunn, coming toward them. Wes is running toward them from the opposite direction.
WES
Angel! There's something strange going on.
ANGEL
No kidding.
GUNN (pissed, to Wes)
How did you get in here past security? You're on a leave of absence.
Wes ignores Gunn's question. From the reactions of Gunn and Lilah, Scruffy Wes is in need of some self-care.
LILAH (waving her hand in front of her mouth and nose)
Whoa, Wes! Scruffy Wes is kinda sexy, but Funky Wes not so much.
WES (defensively)
I've just been busy moving things back into my place, is all.
GUNN
So what the hell is going on? Are people just going crazy?
WES
It seems that something's causing childhood fears and repressed memories to surface from the subconscious, manifesting as some kind of supernatural phenomena.
LILAH
Maybe it has something to do with that case Preston handed off to Lorne. A bunch of suicides tied to some pop song.
GUNN
So let's go get Lorne.
WES
And Fred.
ANGEL (to Lilah)
Team Angel. Can't keep a good thing down.
INT: LORNE'S RESIDENCE
Lorne, Aden, Fred and Willow are all busy, tracking various aspects of the case.
LORNE
I've called every radio station in town. None of them have this song on their playlist. Not even a demo copy. And their logs don't show it on rotation.
ADEN
Fred, you said you heard it at work, but W/H subscribes to an Internet music service. It comes thru a computer and is fed to the entire building through the sound system. I know, cause I'm in charge of it. I review the playlist every day. I've never seen this song listed.
FRED
I tried to get ahold of Wes, but he's not answering his phone.
WILLOW
No record store has a copy of this song. But people are hearing it somehow. Over the radio, or on CDs by other artists. There's definitely a magical signature on it. I've been trying to identify it's source.
LORNE
Well, Will, just keep doing that voodoo that you do so well.
Willow suddenly jumps up.
WILLOW
Eureka! That's it! That's the signature. It's voodoo.
ADEN
You mean Voudon. It's a religion, you know.
WILLOW
Voudon's the religion, voodoo is the magical practice associated with it. It's like any magic, it can be used to heal and help, or to hinder and harm. Let me go home, do a little research and call you back. I think I'm on to
something here. Fred, will you come and help? (flirty) You like research.
Fred and Willow leave.
LORNE
Well, it's been a long night. I really feel out of my league here.
ADEN
You're doing fine.
LORNE
I hate this. I came back to be a spy for Cordy, not take on cases by myself. I don't know how I got to be this guy, Aden. I think about that sunny funny Lorne who used to own a bar and help people with their destinies, and I wonder who he was.
Lorne heads toward the kitchen and begins to refresh his drink. Aden fidgets with the stuff on the coffee table, looking uncomfortable.
ADEN
You know, you could just have a soda.
LORNE (irritable)
Oh, don't tell me we're going to have (makes quote marks with his fingers) "The Conversation" again.
ADEN
OK, I admit it bothers me.
LORNE
You know, you're the only one who's ever even brought it up. All the time I lived at the Hyperion, no one made a big deal about it. It's just me, it's what I do. It's the Pylean Male Prime Directive. We drown our sorrows. It's not like I'm out of control or anything.
Aden gets up and goes over to a set of plate glass doors that face a terrace, walking away from what is apparently an ongoing argument between the two. When he opens the doors, he is surprised to see a rooftop swimming pool.
ADEN (eager to change the subject)
Wow, I didn't know you had a pool!
Aden goes out to inspect it, followed by Lorne. The CD players turns itself on and plays "Hear My Tears".
EXT: The pool terrace. Lorne and Aden stand under the moonlight looking at the pool.
LORNE (looking at the pool with unease)
Yeah. I'm thinking of having it drained.
ADEN
Drained, are you nuts? Let's take a break and...you're afraid of water, aren't you.
LORNE
Well, not all water. Just pools and ...ponds.
Lorne's voice catches as if he's having trouble breathing. He gasps for air until he seems to be in the throes of an all-out asthma attack. He sits down on a lawn chair and tries to recover his breathing.
ADEN
Take it slow, just catch your breath. You're okay.
LORNE (recovering)
Geez, I haven't had an episode like that since I was a kid. Wonder what brought that on.
ADEN (kisses Lorne on top of the head)
Stay there. I'll get your drink. Just take it easy.
Aden leaves. Lorne takes a deep breath and looks up - and sees he is sitting in the hearth of his Pylean childhood home. His mother is screaming at him.
LORNE'S MOTHER
...enough sorrow and pain from you. We hardly ever see your father anymore - he's too embarrassed to come home. He's rather be invisible than be seen with you.
Suddenly Lorne is jerked to his feet by his father. From Lorne's POV we see Lorne's angry father, but as the camera pulls away we see adult Lorne fearfully looking up at ...nothing. "Nothing" is pretty sizeable, about what an adult would be if adult-sized Lorne were child-sized. We hear rather than see Lorne's father yelling at him.
LORNE'S FATHER
You've caused your mother enough sorrow. Well, you know what we Pylean men do with our sorrows? (We see Lorne's arm jerked upwards by an unseen force, and he is dragged toward the swimming pool) We drown them.
Lorne continues to struggle but is dragged into the pool. He tries to call for help but his voice catches in fear and he gasps for air. We see Lorne struggle as if he's being forcibly submerged under the water.
As Lorne begins to lose consciousness, he sees something in the water - the face of the little girl from the videotape. It's Pipi Piper and she's saying something to Lorne but we can't make out what it is. We see Lorne lose consciousness and float face down in the pool.
CUT TO: The living room, Aden hears the doorbell and opens the door to the rest of Team Angel. Fred and Willow are with them, as is Lilah.
WILLOW
Hey, look who we ran into downstairs!
ANGEL (brusquely)
Where's Lorne?
ADEN (points to the terrace)
He's outside by the -
Before he can finish, Angel makes a beeline for the terrace. The others enter the living room. Willow sees the CD player and shuts it off, but it continues to play. Willow works a spell on the player as Wes, Gunn and Aden go out to the terrace.
WILLOW
Broken child, we hear your singing.
Sorrow cease, peace we are bringing.
The song stops.
CUT TO: The pool terrace.
Wes, Gunn and Aden run out to see Angel helping Lorne as he coughs up water. Angel has apparently pulled Lorne out of the pool.
LORNE
Thank..thank..thank..
ANGEL
Catch your breath. I'm just glad I didn't have to give you CPR.
Lorne catches his breath and then says
LORNE
I know where she is.
EXT: A dilapidated house in a run-down neighborhood.
INT: The interior of the same house, the home of Pipi Piper. There are gold records on the wall, in sharp contrast to the humble furnishings. However, a more horrific sight is against one wall - a black magick alter suggesting voodoo practice, and a girl of about twenty sitting in a semi-catatonic state on the floor. She is dressed like a torn and ragged version of the 4 year old moppet, and sits like a broken doll, singing "Hear My Tears" in a broken ragged voice that sounds nothing like the pop princess we've been hearing. A woman's corpse
lies near her. From the attire, the dead woman was the spell caster, a worker of voodoo.
Fred steps up to the young woman and looks into her eyes, inspecting her.
WILLOW
Zombification.
FRED
She can be helped. We've got to get her to a hospital.
GUNN
Looks like mom found a way of controlling her wayward girl. And looks like Wayward Girl got her back.
ANGEL
The song was her cry for help.
FRED
What kind of monster would hurt their child like that.
WES
Parents are the first monsters we all meet. Big, scary, loving, all powerful. Some are just trying to do what they think is right.
LORNE
And some are just monsters.
EXT: Next day, An outdoor dining area adjoining the W/H company cafeteria. Lorne and Fred lie back on the grass, sandwiches near them. They are watching clouds.
FRED
I never watched clouds as a kid.
LORNE
That's all I ever did as a kid. Watch clouds.
FRED (sits up)
Well, Pylea's a different world. Me, I was always busy busy busy. Play dates, accelerated learning programs, my folks were always pushing me. But they were always loving. The most affectionate, supportive parents you could imagine. But Madge used to always say they were killing her with kindness -
she said she didn't have any control over her own life. Except for the throwing up. How can loving parents drive their kids to destruction? Doesn't make sense to me. They never meant to hurt
Madge.
LORNE (sits up)
You're lucky to have such a loving family. You can't blame your parents for what happened to Madge. At least your father didn't try to kill you.
Fred starts to cry.
LORNE
Oh, don't do that, pumpkin! (his voice cracks) You'll get me started.
Within seconds, they are both crying.
INT: Wes's apartment, that evening.
Gunn and Angel are helping Wes straighten up the place. Wes looks considerably less funky.
ANGEL
So, what's the decision. Are we in or out?
GUNN
You make it sound easy. It's not. There's stuff I don't want to walk away from. It's not about the perks. I'm someone there.
ANGEL
You are someone, Gunn. You don't need W/H to make that a fact.
GUNN
I'm making it work. You guys want to weenie out.
WES
Well, we don't need to nail it down right now. We've done a lot tonight. Let's go have a beer. We'll be...Team Beer.
ANGEL
Team Beer. That's a start.
EXT: Later same night, early dawn. Parking space in front of the W/H building.
Aden waits in a convertible with the top down. Lorne gets in the passenger seat.
ADEN
Did he take it well when you told him you were leaving for good?
LORNE
Of course not. But he gets it.
(looks at Aden)
Are you sure about doing this?
ADEN
I chose not to do the job. Whatever the consequences are, we'll handle it
together.
(hands Lorne an envelope).
Happy birthday.
LORNE
(opening it)
It's not my birthday.
ADEN
Well, Happy Not Your Birthday, Mr. Owns a Bar Again.
LORNE
(reads a letter sized document inside the envelope, gapes open mouth.)
Bourbon Street?
ADEN
Yeah. All the music and alchohol and vampires you could ever want.
The car drives away with our POV from the back of the car. We hear Lorne's ear-
splitting scream of joy.
LORNE
AUUUGGGH! Let The Good Times Roll!
END
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