PROLOGUE:

A lecture hall. Professor Walsh is lecturing to Buffy and the class. Riley is leaning against a wall.

Walsh: So this is what it is.. talking about communication talking about language... not the same thing. It's about inspiration... Not the idea, but the moment before the idea when its… When it blossoms in your mind and connects to everything. It's about the thoughts and experiences that we don't have a word for.  A demonstration. Buffy, Summers, come on down to the front here.

Buffy walks down.

Walsh: A typical college girl, one assumes.

Walsh (to buffy): Lie down on my desk

Buffy: What?

Walsh: Go ahead, you're perfectly safe.

Buffy: oh

Buffy sits, then lies on the desk but doesn't completely lie down. She is resting on her elbows.

Walsh: Riley, if you could oblige.

Riley: A demonstration, right?

Walsh: Be a good boy.

Riley leans over Buffy. He puts a hand on her waist.

Buffy: This feels very strange.

Riley: Don't worry. When I kiss you it'll make the sun go down.

They kiss and the class watches.  He brings a hand around her holding her up and she brings her arm around him and then to his neck. They continue to kiss and it gets darker. 

The classroom is empty when the camera zooms out from them.

Riley: See.

She sits up

Buffy: Fortune favors the brave.

Faintly a little girl is humming or chanting.

Buffy: Do you hear that?

Buffy walks towards the sound. Buffy eventually sees a little girl holding an ornate box in the hall. 

The little girl is still chanting: Can't even shout. Can't even cry. The gentlemen are coming by. Looking in windows. Knocking on doors. They need to take seven and they might take yours. Can't call to mom. can't say a word. You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard

Riley touches her from behind and she turns to see a horrific face wearing a dark suit.

Buffy wakes up sitting next to Willow in a full classroom.

Walsh: So I'll see you all Monday for a final review session

Willow: Man that was an exciting class, hunh?

Buffy: Oh yeah well

Willow: And the last twenty minutes was a revelation just laid out everything we need to know for the final I'd hate to have missed that.

They both are getting up and leaving class.

Buffy: Just tell me I didn't snore.

Willow: Very discreet, minimal drool

Buffy: Oh yea.

Willow: So were you dreaming?

Buffy: yeah, it was kind of intense

Riley steps up from behind a column.

Riley: Intense, really? Cause you seemed so peaceful.

Riley walks with them.

Buffy: Of course it was only for a moment.

Riley: Right. Hey you guys headed over towards ?

Riley: Ah, student center

Riley: Oh great. So this dream.

Willow: You know, you guys go I'm gonna do the thing.

Willow: So I'll see you after Wicca group

Willow: Bye.

Buffy: Bye.

Riley: Bye.

Riley: So tell me about your dream.

Willow sneaks over to eavesdrop through an opening.

Riley: As a psyche major I'm qualified to go 'hmmm

Buffy: I don't really remember it

Riley: Well, did I appear at all in this dream?

Willow hides her face by reading a notebook when they get close.

Buffy: There might have been a cameo

Riley: Is that right?

Buffy: Maybe more like a featured role

Riley: Romantically?

Willow lowers the notebooks, smiles and heads away.

Buffy: I'm not saying a word.

Buffy and Riley exit a building into a sunny day.

Riley: So what have you got going on for tonight?

Buffy: Oh Patrolling

Riley: Patrolling?

Buffy: Eh, Petroleum

Riley: Petroleum?

Buffy: Uh huh

Riley: Tonight you have crude oil

Buffy: And homework. What about you?

Riley: Oh you know grading papers.

Buffy: Ah, that'll be fun.

Riley: Not petroleum fun but it passes the time.

Buffy: So I uh...

Riley: Yeah... (exhales)

Riley: I guess I won't see you until...

Buffy: Yeah...

Riley leans down and is about to kiss her.

Buffy: What papers?

Riley (confused): Papers?

Buffy realizes the moment is gone.

Buffy: Um, grading, what papers? We only have the final.

Riley: Oh, yeah. Um, no, I... Late, Late papers I gotta look at

Buffy: Oh. Ok.  Neat.

Riley: So...

Buffy: Class.

Riley: I'll see you then.

Buffy: Yeah.

Riley leaves.

Buffy (petulantly): Fortune favors the brave.

Giles apartment.  He is on the phone.

Giles: Can't even shout. Can't even cry. The gentlemen are coming by. Um, it sounds vaguely familiar. You're sure it's - nothing you heard when you were a child?

Oh alright.  Nothing else?

Well i-it could definitely be one of your prophetic dreams or it could just be the eternal mystery that is your brain. But I-I'll check it out and um, I'll let you know if I find something.

Alright. Bye bye.

Giles: Have you heard of a group called the gentlemen?

Spike is walking in the kitchen, chewing and searching.

Spike: Group of what?

Giles: The gentlemen.

Spike: Dunno.

Giles: You certain?

Spike: No. We're out of wheat-a-bits.

Giles: We are out of wheat-a-bits because you ate it all - again.

Spike: Get some more.

Giles: I thought vampires were supposed to eat blood.

Spike: Yep. Well sometimes I like to crumble up the wheat-a-bits in the blood - 

give it a little texture.

Spike has lain on the couch with a bag of crackers and a jar of peanut butter.

Giles: Since the picture you just painted means I will never touch food of any kind again you'll just have to pick it up yourself.

Spike: Sissy.

Exterior of Giles' building. Xander and Anya are walking.

Xander: I don't get what this is coming from.

Anya: well, what am I supposed to think?

Xander: Well, How could you say I'm using you?

Anya: You don't care about what I think you don't ask about my day

Xander: You really did turn into a real girl didn't you?

Anya stops.

Anya: See! You make jokes during my pain. You don't care about me at all

Xander stops and looks back.

Xander: I care about you.

Anya: How much?

(silence)

Anya: What do I mean to you?

Xander: I... we, you know we spend... we'll talk about it later

Xander turns away and walks and they enter Giles apartment

Giles apartment.  As Anya walks through the door.

Anya: Well I think we should talk about it now.

Giles: Thank you for knocking.

Xander: Hf you don't know how I feel about

Anya: I don't.  This isn't a relationship you don't need me, all you care about is lots of orgasms.

Spike sits up to look back with a wheat-a-bit in his mouth.

Giles takes off his glasses.

Xander: Ok... remember how we talked about private conversations and how they're less private when they're in front of my friends

Spike: Oh, we're not your friends.  Go on.

Giles: Please don't

Anya: This is important

Giles: But why is it here?

Xander: Mom said you wanted me to swing by

Giles: Oh, oh yes, well I meant uh after sunset

Giles stands and leans against his desk.

Giles: Um I need you to take Spike for a few days

Xander: What?

Spike: What?

Anya: What?

Spike stands

Spike: I'm not staying with him!

Giles: I have a friend who's coming to town and I'd like us to be alone.

Anya: Oh you mean an orgasm friend?

Giles: Yes that's exactly the most appalling thing you could have said

Xander: he's not roaming around - he stays with me  he's gonna get tied up again.

Anya: What about us, our romantic evening?

Spike: I'm not having these two shag while I'm tied to a chair three feet away

Giles sits and puts his hand against his head in exasperation during this.

Xander: That's not exactly one of my fantasies either.

Anya: So you're blowing off our evening because….

Xander: I don't want him to come either

A school room with a group of 14 girls sitting on couches and chairs and (2 on sitting on the floor) including Willow. Students wander by and others sit studying.

Wicca1: We come together, daughters of Gaia, sisters to the moon we walk with the darkness the wolf at our side through the waterfall of power to the blackest heart of eternity. I think we should have a bake sale.

Wicca2: I don't know

Wicca1: You guys like a bake sale right? I mean we need money for the dance recital and 

You know I do an empowering lemon bun.

Wicca2: The most important thing is the Gaian newsletter we need to get the message of blessing out to the sisters. Also who left their scented candles dripping all over my women power shrine?

Willow: Well, this is good.  I mean, this is all fun ya know, but there's also other stuff that we might show an interest in, as a wicca group.

Wicca1(hesistantly): Like what?

Willow: Well, There's the wacky notion of spells, you know conjuring, transmutation

Wicca2: Oh yeah, then we could all get on our broomsticks and fly around on our broomsticks

Giggling

Wicca1: You know certain stereotypes are not very empowering.

Wicca 3 (sitting on floor): I think that..

Wicca2: One person's energy can suck the power from an entire circle. No offense

Wicca 3:  Well, maybe we could uh.

Wicca2: Yeah, Tara.  Guys.. quiet.

Holds hand up for quiet

Wicca2: Do you have a suggestion?

Tara (Wicca 3) just shakes her head and looks down, but then she looks at Willow.

Wicca2: Ok, let's talk about the theme for the bacchanal.

Buffy and Willow walking in a hall.

Buffy: So not stellar, huh?

Willow: Talk all talk. Blah blah Gaia. Blah blah moon. Lifeforce power thingy. You know after a couple of sessions I was hoping we would get into something real but 

Buffy: No actual witches in your witch group

Willow: No, bunch of wanna blessed bees. you know nowadays every girl with a Henna tattoo and a spice rack thinks she's a sister to the dark ones

They enter their dorm room.

Buffy: I'm sorry it was a bust. I know you were looking to go farther in that department.

Willow: I'd just like to float something bigger than a pencil someday. Hey how's with you and riley you two seemed pretty snugly after class.

Buffy: see above re: talk  all talk

Willow: Do I have to tie you two together?

Buffy: We almost, but...

Willow: Well, get with it - I need my vicarious smoochies.

Buffy (whiny): I don't know...

Buffy: I get nervous and I start babbling and he starts babbling and it's a babblefest. Plus, everytime we talk I have to lie. The slayer thing comes up one way or another. I wish could just come clean.

The initiative.  Forrest and Riley are climbing out of from a ladder descending to a platform overlooking a very tall demon in a blue robe with very long horns. At least one initiative member is still on the platform. They walk towards the elevator.

Forrest: Well you can't

Riley: Yeah, I know I can't, but it bugs me this time.

Forrest: This is the burden we bear, brother.

We have a gig that would inevitably cause any girl living to think we are cool upon cool. Yet we must Clark Kent our way through the dating scene never to use our unfair advantage.

They stop to let a cart carrying others drive by.

Forrest: Thank God we're pretty.

Riley: But its just... Buffy's special

Forrest: You think she's special. Wow.  The first 486 times you told me it didn't register but now I 'see' that you think she's special.

Riley: See, you're naturally inclined to talk too much I don't have that.

Forrest: Then get with the kissing.

They enter the elevator

Riley: Riley Finn.

Elevator: Initiative vocal code match complete.

Xander's basement.  Spike is tied to a chair and Xander is dressed for bed in a T-shirt and boxers.  As they speak Xander gets in bed and turns out the light.

Spike: I don’t see why I have to be tied up.

Xander: It's just while I'm sleeping.

Spike:  Like I'd bite you anyway.

Xander: Oh you would.

Spike:  Not bloody likely.

Xander: I happen to be very biteable pal.  I'm moist and delicious.

Spike:  Alright, yeah fine you're a nummy treat.

Xander: And don't you forget it.

Spike adopts a high pitched almost falsetto voice - like Anya.

Spike: Xander don't you care about me.

Xander: Shut up!

Spike: We never talk.

Xander holds up a warning finger.

Xander: Shut up!

Spike:  Xaaannnder.

Xander: Shut up!

Giles' apartment.

Giles (musing): They need to take seven... take seven what?

Knock at door.  Giles get up and opens it.

Giles: Olivia!

Olivia: Sorry I'm so late the flight was a horror.

Giles:  Oh no bad weather?

Olivia: Baseball movie.

Giles (amused): Oh.. so sorry

Olivia: Yeah. That's enough small talk, don't you think?

They kiss and Giles puts his glasses on the notes

A clocktower. 1:00 am.  Interior of the clocktower.

Pale grayish hands opens an ornate box and whispering is heard. Exterior of clocktower. Overview of town. Outside of a house. Bedroom. A sleeping boy's mouth loses a mist

which goes out a window. People everywhere open their mouths and a mist comes out. 

Another bedroom with an elderly man.  A bedroom with Giles and Olivia. The dorm room of Willow and Buffy. The mist travels over the town  to the clocktower and goes into the box which the hand closes. The camera follows the arm to the Gentleman's face.  It is gray white with silver teeth in a horrid perpetual grin and white eyes and drawn back skin over a bald skull with an almost hooked nose.  It is the face from Buffy's dream.

Morning. The dorm.

Buffy gets out of bed and goes to the bathroom. Sound of toilet flushing. She yawns and brushes her teeth. She comes out into the hall. A girl who is crying silently sniffles and passes her by. Buffy wonders what's up.

Willow yawns and gets up

Buffy: --good morning--

She stops

Willow: --hey—

Buffy feels her throat

Buffy: --good morn—

Buffy: --good—

Buffy: --Will can you hear me—

Willow: --no I've  gone gone deaf--

Buffy: --no I don't think so.  we can't speak.—

Willow: --yells—

Buffy goes out into the hall.  Students are out there and silently mouthing.  Not a voice is heard.

Xander: --what's going on—

--why can't I talk--

Xander turns to face Spike who is still tied down.

Xander: --You you did this to me.—

Spike holds his hands wide apart (how?)