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I've Got You Under My Skin Part 1 (December 8, 1999 ) Story by: David Greenwalt & Jeannine Renshaw |
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Teaser |
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INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT ANGEL and WESLEY sit at the kitchen table, looking at an intricate dagger. Angel studies a symbol carved on the handle. ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL DING - the oven timer goes off. CORDELIA (O.S.) ANGEL WESLEY CORDELIA hurries in from the other room. She talks as she takes the pan of brownies out of the oven. CORDELIA She tries cutting them. They fight back. WESLEY CORDELIA WESLEY CORDELIA WESLEY CORDELIA WESLEY She cuts the brownies. Wesley is agog. WESLEY She pays him no heed. WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY CORDELIA ANGEL WESLEY CORDELIA ANGEL They look at him. He realizes what he just said. ANGEL An uncomfortable beat. They fidget. ANGEL He rises, moves off. Off Wesley and Cordelia, chastened.. STEPHANIE (O.S.) INT. ANDERSON HOME - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Sparse, but nice. Some half-full moving boxes are stacked against one wall. A typical living room filled with a typical family. STEPHANIE (6) tries to block her brother, RYAN (8) from grabbing the coloring book she's been working in. Ryan's got a stack of trading cards in his other hand. RYAN STEPHANIE RYAN Ryan grabs her coloring book, shakes it looking for the missing card... She shrieks. STEPHANIE Mom, PAIGE, enters. PAIGE RYAN STEPHANIE RYAN PAIGE STEPHANIE AND RYAN SETH (O.S.) The whining stops instantly as dad, SETH, appears. It's understood there will be no arguments. SETH INT. ANDERSON HOME - STEPHANIE'S ROOM / HALLWAY - LATER Paige is tucking Stephanie into bed. The little girl is already half-asleep as Paige kisses her, then turns off the lamp. Paige backs out of the room, closing the door softly. She closes her eyes, leans her forehead against the door. PAIGE ANOTHER ANGLE REVEALS Seth standing next to her. He nods. Paige glances over at Ryan's door (it's got one of those little license plates that says "RYAN" on it). The door is locked with a large padlock. Resigned, she steps aside. Seth fastens Stephanie's door with another lock. They walk down the hall to their own room, leaving the camera to linger on the thick metal lock... BLACK OUT. END OF TEASER |
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Act One |
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INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Angel sits at his desk with a book. He looks up to see Cordy standing in the doorway watching him. CORDELIA ANGEL Cordy sits. CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA Angel gets up, paces a little. Finally: ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA He doesn't argue, but his silence says he believes otherwise. CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA And her hand goes to her head as she contorts in pain and the camera ROCKETS at her. It's a vision. FLASHES!! RYAN'S FACE, looking lost and confused. THE ANDERSON HOUSE. WE COME OUT OF IT Angel has a steadying arm around Cordy. ANGEL EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET - NIGHT ANGEL'S CAR appears on the sleepy residential street, driving into a neat TWO SHOT of ANGEL and WESLEY. Wesley behind the wheel. Angel nods toward the Anderson house -- ANGEL WESLEY Angel turns, follows Wesley's gaze to see -- RYAN, dressed in his p.j.s, appears, padding from the shadows across the way and into the street. A CAR appears, coming around the corner. HORN BLARING. The boy doesn't seem to hear it, his face a bright oval reflecting the headlights. Suddenly Angel is there, catching Ryan in a flying tackle that sends them crashing onto the fringe of the Anderson lawn. ANGEL RYAN Angel looks where Ryan is pointing, notices a shallow gash in his shoulder for the first time. ANGEL Ryan smiles, a nice moment now that the danger is past. ANGEL RYAN ANGEL Before Angel can finish the question, Seth appears -- SETH Seth's pissed, takes a beat, stuffs it as he looks from his son to Angel. Then back to his son. Forcing concern: SETH But before anyone can be thanked, Paige runs up. PAIGE She grabs Ryan from Seth pulls him into a long, sweet hug. SETH PAIGE SETH Paige may be noticing Angel for the first time. PAIGE SETH ANGEL Angel reaches out, awkwardly tousles Ryan's hair in an imitation of human behavior. ANGEL The motion calls attention to Angel's injury. PAIGE Seth flashes annoyance as they head into the house, OUT OF FRAME, revealing Wesley watching from the sidewalk, satisfied with Angel's infiltration. INT. ANDERSON HOME - NIGHT Angel's coat is off and his shirt is pulled away from his shoulder. Paige presses a cloth against the injury as she chatters nervously. PAIGE ANGEL Paige notices that he's looking around. PAIGE She trails off as Seth enters. Seth takes in the tableau. His wife and the hunky stranger. Sensing the unease, Angel takes the cloth from Paige's hand, presses it to his own injury. SETH ANGEL PAIGE ANGEL SETH ANGEL SETH PAIGE Seth shoots her a warning glance... don't tell our business. ANGEL SETH ANGEL A beat. Seth looks at Angel. SETH Angel shrugs, no idea. Just a question... EXT. ANDERSON ROME - NIGHT Wesley stands in the driveway, aiming a flashlight at the trash cans. He lifts the lid off one, looks inside... pizza boxes, papers, a discarded baby doll missing its arms. Wesley picks up a stick and tries to shift things around. The baby doll is moved by his exploration, and says, as they are wont to do: BABY DOLL (V.0.) Startled, Wesley jumps back, drops the flashlight. Wesley bends down to retrieve it, but something catches his eye... glowing in the beam of the flashlight along the base of the house. He moves in for a closer look: it's a yellow liquid, something like dishwashing soap except that it's GLOWING and PULSING and otherworldly. WESLEY INT. ANDERSON HOME - NIGHT Seth and Angel are alone in the living room now. Seth strikes a match and lights a cigarette. SETH ANGEL SETH ANGEL Awkward beat, both of them wishing Paige were here. SETH ANGEL Paige returns carrying a bandage. She goes to Angel, pulls his hand away from the wound. It's almost healed. PAIGE ANGEL She's thrown, trying to digest this, as... ANGEL PAIGE SETH ANGEL Paige reacts, glances to Seth with a meaningful look. ANGEL PAIGE SETH Paige crosses to the moving boxes, picks up a small one and brings it back to Angel. She starts pulling things from the box, handing them to Angel. Wooden angels, ceramic angels, crystal angels... She's not nervous anymore. She's exhilarated, even hopeful. PAIGE ANGEL PAIGE ANGEL PAIGE ANGEL SETH The signal is clear. Time for Angel to go. Angel hands back the angels to Paige, who doesn't look away from him. Angel rises, so does Paige, clearly not wanting him to leave. PAIGE SETH PAIGE SETH ANGEL Off Paige's relieved smile and Seth's hardening features... INT. ANGEL'S CAR - NIGHT Wesley is waiting there when Angel gets in. ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL Wesley holds up the vial of glowing goo. WESLEY Angel takes the vial, looks at it. ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY Angel starts the car. It pulls away. Beyond it, a FIGURE lurks at a back window. On a CUT CLOSER we see it's Little Stephanie, watching expressionlessly as Angel drives away. INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - DAY Angel, Wesley and Cordy around Angel's desk, the vial of Plakticine in front of them. Cordy reports, referring to some hand-written notes. CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA Angel and Wesley exchange a look. Cordy picks up the vial of plakticine. CORDELIA WESLEY Cordy puts down the vial. CORDELIA WESLEY CORDELIA WESLEY CORDELIA WESLEY ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL WESLEY CORDELIA ANGEL WESLEY He stops. Clearly has hit a personal place, and doesn't wish to continue. He shifts gears: WESLEY CORDELIA WESLEY ANGEL INT. ANDERSON HOME - NIGHT Looking from inside the house out to where Angel stands on the door step holding a plastic-wrapped plate. ANGEL INT. ANDERSON HOME - DINING ROOM - NIGHT The whole family at the dining room table, finishing up a meal. Angel sits a little stiffly among them across from the kids, mom and dad on either end. PAIGE ANGEL SETH ANGEL Angel tries out a smile. He's working very hard. PAIGE SETH Paige and Seth head into the kitchen. RYAN ANGEL Stephanie flips open her napkin. There are three brussel sprouts inside. Angel leans in toward the kids. ANGEL Stephanie and Ryan giggle as Seth enters with the coffee. SETH STEPHANIE SETH Seth pours coffee. Paige enters with the plate of brownies. PAIGE The kids grab brownies and start to eat at once. The adults take theirs more slowly. Stephanie works on a mouthful and hides the rest in her napkin. Paige tries a nibble. PAIGE Angel eyes Seth, who is toying with his brownie, breaking off a piece, almost biting. Pausing to drink some coffee... ANGEL Seth lifts his brownie, about to bite. Then, maddeningly, he pauses to say: SETH RYAN STEPHANIE PAIGE Angel's eyes are fixed on Seth's brownie as it finally ends its journey. Seth chews. Angel watches intently... SETH'S MOUTH As he chews and chews and chews... starts to gag... Then Stephanie SHRIEKS. But she's not looking at Seth. She's looking at -- RYAN His head flings back, then down a gain. His skin is transparent, like cellophane, and underneath is a grimacing, horrific demon face. His UNEARTHLY HOWL drowns out Stephanie's screams. Off Angel's reaction... BLACK OUT. END OF ACT ONE |
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Act Two |
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INT. ANDERSON HOME - DINING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Everything as it was. Ryan demony. Stephanie screaming. Everyone frozen. Then suddenly it's over. Ryan's head hits the table, unconscious, and Stephanie abruptly shuts up. PAIGE Paige jumps up, goes to Ryan. His face is human again, but mottled, greenish, marked with sores, lips cracked. She recoils at the sight, but takes him in her arms anyway. ANGEL She looks at him, not comprehending. Seth's watching as Angel gently approaches Paige. Seth's very calm, just taking this all in, letting it register... STEPHANIE SETH She turns and runs into her room. No one follows. Angel continues to move to Paige and Ryan. ANGEL PAIGE ANGEL PAIGE ANGEL PAIGE Seth is just gazing at Angel, measuring his every word. SETH PAIGE SETH Paige quiets, feels betrayed. Angel and Seth meet looks. SETH ANGEL INT. ANDERSON HOME - (SHORT TIME) LATER Paige sits rocking absently an unconscious, scabby-looking Ryan. Seth is at her side, speaking soothingly to her. Angel, a distance away, talks on the phone. ANGEL INTERCUT WITH: INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Wesley on the phone. WESLEY Angel considers that, takes in the sight of the distraught mother and her unconscious scabby son. ANGEL Angel hangs up. Seth approaches him. Angel glances over at Paige and Ryan. ANGEL SETH ANGEL SETH ANGEL SETH ANGEL EXT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Flashy flash cut to -- INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Angel, Paige and Seth ride down in the elevator. Angel holds unconscious, scabby Ryan. Paige carries a child's backpack and smooths Ryan's hair back from his forehead. PAIGE Angel and Seth exchange a look. PAIGE They exit the elevator to find Wesley and Cordy waiting. Wesley takes Ryan from Angel and carries him to Angel's bed, which has been pulled to the center of the room, away from the walls. The others follow. ANGEL CORDELIA SETH Cordy spreads binding powder in a circle around the bed. CORDELIA Angel shakes his head at her, this isn't the time to talk about it. WESLEY PAIGE Angel takes Paige by the shoulders, looks at her intently. ANGEL Paige looks at Angel, letting it sink in. Stunned, finally getting it, she nods. WESLEY ANGEL CORDELIA INT. CHURCH - NIGHT Angel and Wesley enter the church. Angel casts an anxious look at the large crucifix behind the altar and gives wide berth to a font of holy water. There's no one there but a nun, kneeling in prayer, rosary in hand. They approach her. WESLEY She looks up, pleasant, ready to help. WESLEY NUN She trails off as she and Angel meet eyes. She gets a hint of what he is. She reaches out, as if to touch his hand. She still holds the rosary, and the tiny cross that's affixed to it dangles very near Angel's hand. He pulls away. She knows. NUN ANGEL NUN She moves the little cross closer to him. He pulls away again. ANGEL She pales a little at that. WESLEY NUN WESLEY NUN ANGEL NUN She moves to a table covered with votive candles. She lights one. Wesley and Angel exchange a look. Realizing: WESLEY She looks at him, doesn't deny it. NUN As she turns and walks away we prelap: RYAN (O.S.) INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT Ryan is awake now, still looking mottled and yucky. He sits up on the bed, looking small and scared... RYAN INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT Cordy, Seth and Paige sit at the table, drinking coffee. Paige fidgets with some of Ryan's toys, including a bag of marbles. She looks ready to break. PAIGE SETH PAIGE SETH CORDELIA SETH PAIGE RYAN (O.S.) Paige starts to stand up. Seth puts a hand on her arm. SETH She looks toward the voice of her son, anguished. SETH PAIGE CORDELIA RYAN (O.S.) PAIGE Paige starts to cry. Seth looks at Cordelia. CORDELIA INT. CHURCH - NIGHT Angel stands by as Wesley fills a small bottle with water from the font. ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY Wesley picks a cross off the votive table, tosses it lightly at Angel... WESLEY Angel catches the cross instinctively. It burns and sizzles. He bobbles it, drops it. It lands, smoking, at his feet. ANGEL WESLEY Wesley starts to go; Angel puts a hand on his shoulder. ANGEL INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Paige is standing in the bedroom doorway now. Seth and Cordy are trying to urge her away. PAIGE CORDELIA SETH PAIGE RYAN Lies curled up, tiny and miserable on Angel's bed. RYAN PAIGE Ryan jerks on the bed, CONVULSING. PAIGE She tries to go to him, Cordelia and Seth hold her back. INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Angel and Wesley enter the outer office. Wesley, now with a tote bag over his shoulder, is reading a tome as he walks. WESLEY ANGEL Wesley reads something that disturbs him. Stops. Angel's already holding the elevator door open, looks back. ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY SETH (O.S.) Off Angel and Wesley hearing that, bolting -- INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Paige continues to
struggle against Seth and Cordelia. In the b.g. we can HEAR and see the
elevator starting to lower. CORDELIA SETH Paige takes advantage of their distraction, pulls away, as... ANGEL AND WESLEY The elevator stops. Angel reaches for the elevator doorhandle as he sees Paige break the grip of the other two. ANGEL PAIGE'S FOOT As she breaks the binding powder circle -- WIDER Paige gathers Ryan in her arms... Ryan smiles... and the bedroom door SLAMS SHUT behind them, cutting off Seth and Cordy as... THE ELEVATOR Angel starts to slide the elevator door open and -- WHAM!, it forces itself SHUT of its own accord, trapping Angel and Wesley. The elevator reverses itself, carrying Angel and Wesley up up and away. INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Ryan lifts his little arms, places a hand on each side of Paige's face. Looks at her intensely. RYAN Paige's eyes widen with fear. We HEAR POUNDING on the door beyond as... RYAN Ryan slides his hands down the sides of her face, until they nestle around her neck. He starts to squeeze. BLACK OUT. END OF ACT TWO Continue on to Part
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I've Got You Under My Skin Part 2 (December 8, 1999 ) Story by: David Greenwalt & Jeannine Renshaw |
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Act Three |
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INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT As we were. Ryan's lethal hands clamped iron fast around his mother's throat. She's going pale, losing against the assault. Seth CRASHES through the door. He and Cordy bolt to Paige's aid, desperately try and pry back the little fingers. No good. SETH Cordy, realizing it's useless, turns and runs back to the -- INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT ELEVATOR Still just the empty shaft. She pounds on the "call" button. But she reacts now as she sees -- WHIP PAN TO The stairs. Angel and Wesley racing down them. They rush past Cordy and into the -- INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Seth, still trying to pry Ryan off of his wife, sees Angel and Wesley approaching. Wesley pulls an ornate cross from his bag of tricks. As he brandishes it at the demon boy's face -- WESLEY Ryan/Demon ROARS, releasing Paige from his grip. She staggers back, COUGHING and GAGGING for air. Seth grabs her, steadies her. Ryan falls back onto the bed, out cold. A get-your-breath beat. Wesley steps up next to Angel. WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY Angel considers that, looks to the traumatized parents. ANGEL They nod, chastened. SLIGHT TIME CUT TO: INT. ANGEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT A BEDSIDE TABLE As a series of items are reverently laid out there... Cross, blessed oil, bottle of Holy Water, Sacred Book. WIDER Wesley prepares for battle. He looks over at Angel, who stands watching. Both of them bracing for the fight ahead. They look to... RYAN Asleep on the bed. Just a little boy... if it weren't for the hideous demon make-up, that is... Off Ryan... INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Angel quietly exits the bedroom. Pulls the door shut behind him. He crosses through the living area, passing the kitchen where Seth and Paige sit, Seth helping Paige sip a cup of tea. She's still in some shock. Purplish bruises on her neck. Seth and Angel share a glance as Angel passes into -- INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - STUDY - CONTINUOUS Where Cordy is going through some research books. ANGEL CORDELIA She turns a large tome toward him, open to a page featuring an illustration of a wooden box with handles on either side and a lift-lid with latch. Antique for sure. ANGEL She moves and joins him in looking at the text. CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA Angel scans the text. ANGEL CORDELIA Angel's jotting down an address for her. Hands it to her. ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL She looks at the scribbled address. Now they both react as the LIGHTS FLICKER and BUZZ. They look at each other. ANGEL She nods, heads off to the stairs. Angel moves back to the -- INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Where Seth and Paige stand, she gripping his arm, both alarmed and on edge as the LIGHTS continue to FLICKER. PAIGE INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT Ryan's face, eyes closed, still silent. Wesley glances up at the weird electrical flickering as he prepares the site for the ritual, sprinkling Holy Water on all corners of the bed -- WESLEY Wesley moves to the next corner, covering Ryan from view for a beat... Wesley WIPES FRAME, revealing -- RYAN in a totally different position, sitting up, burning eyes trained on Wesley, a small smile on his face. RYAN Wesley fairly jumps, takes a troubled step back. Wesley gathers himself, sprinkles more holy water on the boy. WESLEY Ryan recoils. Wesley goes for the sacred book. WESLEY He looks to the sacred text. RYAN WESLEY RYAN This catches Wesley off guard, he looks up at the boy, then nervously back to the text, finding his place, as -- RYAN WESLEY He defiantly brandishes the cross; Ryan recoils, HISSES. WESLEY RYAN WESLEY RYAN ANGEL (O.S.) Now we see Angel has entered the room. RYAN Angel nods to the book. Wesley remembers himself, continues. WESLEY RYAN WESLEY RYAN Wesley stops, looks at Angel -- WESLEY RYAN Furious, Wesley whips around... WESLEY WESLEY'S FOOT Disturbs the binding powder circle. RYAN'S HAND Shoots up, clamps around Wesley's wrist. He SNARLS, shoving the cross up at Wesley, stabbing him in the neck with it. Wesley goes down. Angel is there in a shot, kneeling before him. Wesley reaches up, feels the wet blood on his neck. Angel looks at the wound, concerned, reaches out to it... But Wesley flinches from Angel's touch, real fear in his eyes. A beat as Angel registers that. WESLEY They both look over now at Ryan, who's LAUGHING wickedly. And off his childish, evil laughter... EXT. MAJICK SHOP - NIGHT To establish, as... INT. MAJICK SHOP - NIGHT Cordelia is looking around at the items for sale. The clerk, RICK, approaches her. RICK CORDELIA RICK CORDELIA RICK CORDELIA She points at something on a shelf. Looks like an Ethros box. RICK CORDELIA RICK CORDELIA He hands it to her. She looks at it, thumps it like a melon. CORDELIA RICK CORDELIA RICK CORDELIA RICK She stares at him. INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Wesley sits at the kitchen table. Paige finishes bandaging his wound. Angel and Seth stand nearby. WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL SETH Angel doesn't have a ready answer. Suddenly, Ryan's toys on the kitchen table begin to TREMBLE... all look to see... the bags of marbles as it opens... the marbles roll out... THE MARBLES ON THE FLOOR As they settle, spelling out the words "SAVE ME." WIDER WESLEY As Angel considers that... DOYLE (O.S.) PUSHING ONTO ANGEL as he turns and looks to -- THE BEDROOM DOOR as it swings open on its own, revealing demon Ryan on the bed, laughing lightly, his yellow eyes looking right at Angel. RYAN Angel is fueled with resolve. Marches into the kitchen, grabs a kitchen towel, rips it in half then starts wrapping his fist like a boxer. Seth dogs him. SETH ANGEL The SOUND of the ELEVATOR. Cordy appears with the, well, Shorshack Box. As she enters -- CORDELIA ANGEL He walks right past her. Seth follows him. Without pausing, Angel sweeps up Wesley's cross with his wrapped fist, marches into the-- INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS RYAN Ryan looks past Angel, to his father... RYAN ANGEL Seth notices Angel's wrapped hand with the cross is starting to SMOKE... Seth backs away. Angel glances over his shoulder at Cordy and Wesley who each have a handle of the Box, hold it ready, open end facing him. Angel turns on Ryan, presses the smoldering cross to the boy's chest. (As Angel says each phrase, we CUT BACK to a spellbound Wesley who whispers the English under his breath.) ANGEL WESLEY RYAN ANGEL WESLEY RYAN ANGEL WESLEY RYAN ANGEL WESLEY Angel's head SNAPS AROUND toward Ryan -- he's GONE VAMPFACE. ANGEL Ryan's eyes go wide with an "oh, crap" look as a gigantic seizure runs through his tiny body... a HUGE EXPLOSION as the unnatural LIFEFORCE BURSTS from the small boy. A BALL OF LIGHT that blasts back right toward -- WESLEY AND CORDY The BALL OF LIGHT makes a beeline for the box -- and CRASH!, blasts right out the back of it, leaving Cordy and Wesley both holding splinters. RYAN Weathered looking, but not demony anymore, drops back onto the bed. Exhausted. SETH AND PAIGE See that, instinctively race to their freed boy's side, smother him in relieved hugs. Angel, normal faced, moves to Cordy and Wesley, all three of them taking in what's left of the box. CORDELIA Off the demon's escape... BLACK OUT. END OF ACT THREE |
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Act Four |
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INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Wesley is on his hands and knees, leaning into the elevator. He emerges with a tongue depressor -- upon it is the tell tale Plakticine. WESLEY CORDELIA Angel's examining the front door jam. More gooey stuff. ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL WESLEY ANGEL Angel moves to the weapons cabinet, starts selecting various very bitchin' and lethal looking items (production note: that he will never use.) WESLEY ANGEL Angel tosses Wesley a medieval looking axe or some such. ANGEL As Angel continues to outfit himself for battle: ANGEL CORDELIA WESLEY CORDELIA. INT. SEA CAVE - NIGHT A VARIETY OF SHOTS Of details of the serpentine caverns... wet, glistening rock walls... Over these details... ANGLE - ANGEL AND WESLEY Move through the caverns, flashlights in hand. Angel's flashlight beam finds something... he directs Wesley's attention with a nod to... Plakticine glistening in the flashlight beam on the sea cave wall. ANGEL Angel starts again, but pauses as: WESLEY Angel looks at him. WESLEY Angel stops, puts his hand on Wesley's shoulder, looks him dead in the eye. Time to dispense of this. ANGEL Wesley relaxes visibly. Nods. Thank god that's cleared up. ANGEL Angel moves off, all business. Off Wesley, absorbing that, following... NEW ANGLE Angel leads, Wesley follows as they cautiously proceed towards the bend up ahead. Now Angel slows... stops dead. Wesley follows Angel's gaze to... THEIR POV They come upon the Ethros demon. He is powerful, creepy, but solemn and perhaps somewhat weakened. He doesn't seem that surprised to see them. Angel steps forward, battle axe in hand. ETHROS DEMON ANGEL ETHROS DEMON ANGEL WESLEY ETHROS DEMON WESLEY The demon laughs, low and bitter. ETHROS DEMON INT. ANDERSON HOME - DINING ROOM - NIGHT TWO STEAMING CUPS OF HOT CHOCOLATE Are set out on the dining room table. WIDEN to REVEAL Ryan and Stephanie sitting there as Paige serves them. Ryan looks from his cup to his sister's. RYAN PAIGE She tousles Ryan's hair -- Kids, what're ya gonna do -- PAIGE They sip. Paige moves away, joining Seth who looks on. He puts his arm around his wife. They take in their children. PAIGE SETH He pulls her close, as.... RYAN Watching the hateful Stephanie as she blissfully sips, leaving a hot chocolate mustache and a marshmallow twirling between her lips. Ryan looks at her, then back down at his wholly inadequate beverage... he's pissed. RYAN INT. SEA CAVE - NIGHT As before... ANGEL ETHROS DEMON ANGEL ETHROS DEMON ANGEL ETHROS DEMON WESLEY ETHROS DEMON Angel stares at the demon, who calmly awaits his fate. Angel raises the axe over his head -- INT. ANDERSON HOME - RYAN'S ROOM - NIGHT Ryan in bed, looking up, his face unreadable... Paige leans into frame -- PAIGE -- kisses him lightly on the cheek. Ryan rolls over, closes his eyes and nestles into the pillow. WE MOVE with Paige as she crosses to the door. Seth is there, just finishing removing the hardware of the bolts and locks from the door He rises. SETH She smiles, so relieved. As they go they leave the door ajar... EXT. ANDERSON HOME - NIGHT As the LAST LIGHT is extinguished... INT. ANDERSON HOME - RYAN'S ROOM - NIGHT The house has settled into silence. Ryan's eyes pop open. Without moving he glances towards the open door. INT. ANDERSON HOME - PARENTS' BEDROOM - NIGHT Paige and Seth sleep. A small hand reaches into frame, sweeps the matches off the night table. Seth stirs, blinks as he tries to focus on... RYAN pads silently out the door. SETH INT. ANDERSON HOME - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS ...pushes shut the door and wedges one of his triangular building blocks underneath, jamming it shut. He stands, checks it with his foot. He turns, moves past a small hall table with a telephone. He takes the phone off the hook, then reaches to a GASOLINE CAN sitting on the hall floor. Ryan picks it up and heads back down the hall as -- SETH (O.S.) INT. ANDERSON HOME - PARENTS' BEDROOM - NIGHT Seth tries the door knob... pounds on the door... it doesn't give. Concerned, Paige joins him. PAIGE SETH He POUNDS the door with increasing panic through -- INT. ANDERSON HOME - STEPHANIE'S ROOM - NIGHT A beam of light from the open hall door cuts across Stephanie's bed, illuminating her angelic face in a soft light. A shadow ominously passes over... RYAN looms in the doorway, gas can in hand. POUNDING resonates from down the hall, followed by voices -- PAIGE (O.S.) STEPHANIE'S DRAWING lies on the floor -- SPLASH -- a stream of gasoline drenches it. PULL BACK as Ryan pours a line of gasoline from one wall to the other around Stephanie's bed. SETH (O.S.) Ryan shakes the can, emptying the last drop, then reaches into his pocket for matches... Stephanie finally stirs... sees him. STEPHANIE A beat. Then-- RYAN -- he STRIKES the match. BANG! -- we HEAR the parents door breaking open. Ryan calmly holds the flame out over the drenched drawing as -- PAIGE AND SETH step into the doorway just as -- RYAN -- releases the flame. THE MATCH tumbles towards the ground in SLOW MOTION... Then -- WHOOSH -- settles in a puddle of fire on the paper. Paige and Seth freeze in horror as flames blast up, engulfing their precious daughter's bed. THROUGH THE FLAMES we see Stephanie cowering under the covers, too scared to scream. PAIGE AND SETH repelled by the heat. RYAN watches, expressionless, doesn't even flinch when, CRASH! -- THE WINDOW shatters inward -- security bars landing with shards of glass. ANGEL leaps inside... in an instant he sweeps Stephanie off the bed... then Angel pulls Stephanie close and leaps back outside. Before Seth and Paige can really register any of this... WESLEY (O.S.) WESLEY appears in the doorway... breaks the inertia of shock by grabbing Ryan and ushering the parents out. As they go we TILT DOWN to find the last of Stephanie's drawing melting into the flames. In the distance a SIREN WAILS. EXT. ANDERSON HOME - NIGHT The aftermath. FIRETRUCK, COP CARS, various official people and vehicles, as... RYAN'S FACE placid, expressionless, as a CAR DOOR is shut INTO FRAME over him. WIDER KATE exchanges a few words with a UNIFORM, then crosses over to where Angel stands with Seth, waiting. KATE SETH KATE SETH KATE Seth nods, none of this giving him any comfort. ANGEL She regards Angel, only nods. Moves off. Seth and Angel watch as she climbs into the patrol car. It pulls away. Ryan disappearing from view. SETH That was more to himself than to Angel... SETH ANGEL A beat. Seth looks at Angel. SETH Angel looks at him, nods. ANGEL Angel indicates toward... PAIGE AND STEPHANIE Who WE SEE for the first time... revealed sitting together, huddled up against the night air. Waiting. ANGEL AND SETH ANGEL Seth looks once at Angel then moves away... back to his family. Angel watches Seth rejoin them, then turns, moves over to... ...Cordelia and Wesley, waiting together nearby. Two families of three, each moving their separate ways as we -- BLACK OUT. THE END
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