INT. UPSTAIRS - GABRIELLA'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Connor walks down the hallway, also void of any pictures or
decorations. He peers into one open doorway. It's a child's
bedroom.
This seems to be the only decorated room in the house.
Connor steps in and looks around, noticing a picture of
Gabriella cradling a baby. He steps back out and enters:
INT. SPARE BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
Connor pulls off his shirt and flops down on the bed. After
a minute, he gets up and opens the window, sitting in the
window sill and looking out into the night sky.
ANGLE ON: The night sky
The camera PULLS DOWN TO:
EXT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
We're outside a rundown factory warehouse. A loud crash is
heard from inside followed by the sound of a punch landing on
someone's face. Off that we:
CUT TO:
INT. MAIN AREA - WAREHOUSE - NIGHT
A vampire slowly turns his head to face the camera, having
just recoiled from the blow we just heard. He looks to be
barely restraining his anger.
The camera rotates around to reveal a tall lanky kid in his
mid 20s. He's wearing Van Halen t-shirt with a plaid button
up shirt over it. He's also fuming with anger. Meet DOUGLAS
JONES.
DOUGLAS
You useless bunch of tossers! I
spend months, years trying to find
this kid for her, I finally track
him down and you can't bring him
in.
VAMPIRE
You didn't exactly tell us he was
going to be Peter Pan'ing his way
through the fight.
DOUGLAS
(points to his face)
This here is my 'I don't give a
damn' look.
That little remark pushes our vampire too far and he slams
Douglas into a wall, holding him by his shirt.
VAMPIRE
Look here, Doug.
DOUGLAS
I told you, it's Gauis.
VAMPIRE
Whatever. I lost a few of my boys
out there and the ones I got left
want their damn money.
DOUGLAS
(calmly)
You don't do the job. You don't
get paid.
The vampire leans forward trying to intimidate Douglas, but
he just smirks.
DOUGLAS
Go ahead. Hurt me. See what she
does to you.
The vampire considers his options, then lets Douglas go and
storms off, signaling his crew to leave with him.
DOUGLAS
I'll be in touch if I need more
lackeys for some grunt work.
Douglas watches him leave, then starts hyperventilating as
soon as he's alone. He rubs back of his neck where he was
slammed.
DOUGLAS
(between gasps)
That...hurt.
He takes a minute to compose himself, straightening his shirt
and fixing his hair, then he enters:
INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
A office only illuminated by the light from a laptop monitor.
The room is scattered with dozens of old looking books, maps,
and various herbs and spell trinkets. In the far corner is a
lavishly decorated queen size bed. It stands out in stark
contrast to the rest of the office.
Douglas slowly approaches the bed where a figure is shivering
under the blankets.
DOUGLAS
How you doing today, sweetie?
FEMALE VOICE
(muffled by the blanket)
The cries are softer today.
Douglas gently sits on the edge of the bed and slowly pulls
the blanket back to reveal DRUSILLA!
She looks like several shades of hell. Bags under her eyes
drooping almost to her nose. More pale than she normally is.
Her face is very sucked in, like she's dehydrated.
DOUGLAS
(gently)
Have you ate today? Can I get you
something in a...ehrm...blonde?
Douglas's eyes glance past the bed to reveal a couple of
corpses. Both dark haired women sporting fang marks on their
necks.
DOUGLAS
(nods to the bodies)
There's always leftovers.
DRUSILLA
I can't. Not them. They still cry
when I feed. They've always cried,
but the sound was exquisite.
Douglas strokes her air almost absentmindedly. This is
clearly a spiel he's already heard several times over.
He stops as he comes across a bald spot on her head. He
leans over her to get a better look.
It's a nasty mess of dried blood and scratch marks.
DOUGLAS
Dru, honey. I told you to stop
hurting yourself.
DRUSILLA
Can't help it. They hurt.
Everyday, louder and louder.
(lightly scratching her
wounds)
I want them out. I try, but they
won't come out.
DOUGLAS
(soothing)
We're working on that.
DRUSILLA
Two years. Searching for my
salvation. None of them helped.
They scorned and laughed.
DOUGLAS
I know. But tonight I made
progress.
Dru perks up a bit at that.
DOUGLAS
Finally got a beat on him.
Drusilla sits up in the bed, her eyes never leaving
Douglas's.
DOUGLAS
He got away, but two years of
spells finally paid off. Whatever
was protecting him slipped up.
DRUSILLA
(hopeful)
You'll bring him to me?
DOUGLAS
I tried a few spells, but he fell
off the grid again. I'll nail him.
Soon.
DRUSILLA
Finally, we'll be a whole family
again, Dougie.
DOUGLAS
(exasperated)
Gaius. And I'm all the family you
need.
Drusilla tenderly rub's Douglas's cheek. Douglas closes his
eyes, enjoying the sensation.
DRUSILLA
Two is no family. I need him to
bring Daddy to me. He can cure me.
Then the three of us can be
together.
DOUGLAS
Forever? The three of us, right?
You'll finally give me what I want.
DRUSILLA
Bring him to me. And I will grant
you the gift of eternal life.
DOUGLAS
(eyes still closed)
Oh yes.
DRUSILLA
No more pain. No more dreadful
humanity. You'll be free.
DOUGLAS
(dreamy)
Yes.
DRUSILLA
Powerful.
DOUGLAS
God, yes.
DRUSILLA
Deadly.
DOUGLAS
(emphatic)
Yes.
Douglas snaps his eyes open, an determined expression on his
face.
DOUGLAS
I'll find him. And the others in
this town. One way or another,
I'll heal you.
Drusilla is still stroking his face. She's sporting the
creepiest grin this side of Angelus.
DOUGLAS
And you'll be back to being the
dark princess you were meant to be.
Drusilla rubs her cheek alongside his arm, pulling up his
sleeve...to reveal several fang marks.
Douglas immediately stiffens up. He's been through this
before too.
DOUGLAS
(nervous)
Thought you weren't hungry?
DRUSILLA
Not for leftovers.
She VAMPS OUT and sinks her fangs into his arm. Douglas
winces and grits his teeth, trying to fight the pain.
CLOSE IN on Douglas's grimacing face before we:
FADE TO:
INT. GABRIELLA'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Gabriella comes down the stairs in a bathrobe drying her hair
with a towel.
Connor is sitting in a recliner tying his sneakers.
Gabriella pauses at the bottom of the stairs, watching him.
CONNOR
(turning to look at her)
Hey.
GABRIELLA
Hey.
(off his shoes)
Going somewhere?
CONNOR
Need to get some air. Clear my
head.
(looking around the bare
living room)
Not much for decoration?
GABRIELLA
Well, I'm a minimalist.
There's an awkward pause between the two.
CONNOR
Listen-
GABRIELLA
Listen-
They both let out a nervous laugh. Gabriella motions with
her hand for Connor to continue.
CONNOR
Thanks for bailing me out last
night and letting me stay. I don't
want to be a burden or anything, I
was just gonna head out.
GABRIELLA
So when you said you needed some
air...
CONNOR
I was lying.
GABRIELLA
Figured.
(unsure)
You sure it's a good idea to leave?
I mean, you could get attacked
again.
CONNOR
I can handle myself.
GABRIELLA
Right. Of course.
Gabriella goes over to a chest drawer in the hallway. She
pulls out a key and tosses it to Connor.
CONNOR
What's this?
GABRIELLA
A house key. In case I'm not
around when you get back from
whereever you're going.
CONNOR
(smug)
What makes you so sure I'm coming
back?
GABRIELLA
(equally smug)
Where else do you have to go?
Connor is speechless. She's got a point. With a nod, he
slips on his jacket and leaves.
Gabriella watches him leave. Off her, we:
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. UNKNOWN - DAY
We come in on a low angle close up of Connor. He's kneeling
down and fiddling with something in front of him that is just
out of frame.
CONNOR
One of the last times I saw my dad,
my real dad I mean, he told me you
were here.
Done with whatever he was doing, he stands and takes a couple
steps back, looking down at something.
CONNOR
I'm not entirely sure why I'm here.
My whole life has been one lie
after another. People talking at
me instead of to me. All lies.
(sigh)
Whether it was really you inside or
not, I'm not sure, but you're one
of the only people who actually
listened.
The camera rotates around to show us who he's talking to.
It's a headstone.
Cordelia Chase
1981 - 2004
Friend. Queen. Champion.
FADE TO:
INT. OCCULT SHOP - DAY
Gabriella walks into what appears to be a pretty rinky dink
magic shop. A bell sounds to signal her arrival. There
isn't anyone else there except the store clerk in the place,
who looks up and meets her eyes.
Another beautiful dark haired woman, ALESSIA SAKARA. She
speaks with a bit of a Romanian accent.
ALESSIA
(dry)
Something I can help you with?
GABRIELLA
You've got jokes today. This is
new.
There's an awkward silence. Gabriella casually fiddles with
a few of the magical trinkets.
GABRIELLA
Thanks for the powder. Couldn't
have done the spell without it.
ALESSIA
So you found him then?
GABRIELLA
Yeah. You know I'm good for it
too. Sorta in between jobs at the
moment.
ALESSIA
You mean an evil law firm doesn't
offer a lucrative severance
package? I'm shocked.
GABRIELLA
Well I'm sure they do if you don't
walk out on them.
Another pause. Alessia stares at Gabriella like she's trying
to look through her. Gabriella smirks.
GABRIELLA
You can stop trying now. You're
not going to get anything.
ALESSIA
You have Norton installed in your
mind now?
GABRIELLA
Something like that. You want to
know something, just ask. Much
easier.
ALESSIA
Gabby, I normally trust your
judgment-
GABRIELLA
But-
ALESSIA
I'm still confused as to why a
member of our family would want to
help the son of a murderer.
GABRIELLA
Oh, the bitter train. Right on
schedule. Is Mom still conducting?
Alessia looks away.
GABRIELLA
Do we really need to have this
conversation everyday? Is it
necessary?
Yet another pause. They both sigh. This conversation has
happened before, more than once. Alessia opts to change the
subject.
ALESSIA
Where is he now?
GABRIELLA
Said he needed some time to
himself.
If he's anything like his dad, he's
probably doing some of that
infamous brooding.
Alessia bows her head and starts twiddling her thumbs.
Gabriella's brow furrows.
GABRIELLA
What?
ALESSIA
There's...there's something I need
to tell you.
GABRIELLA
Well, I hope so. You rarely call
for a frap these days.
ALESSIA
(sharply)
Gabby!
Gabriella takes the hint. This is serious.
EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
Connor is sitting with his back to a tree staring at
Cordelia's grave.
CONNOR
I always wondered why you did it.
Why you and Gunn and Fred and Dad,
why you fought. From what he told
me that day in the coffee house,
everyone around him dropped one by
one. Some demon friend he had.
Fred. You.
Connor picks up a rock and mindlessly tosses it away.
CONNOR
People like you and Dad, you chose
this life. You could've been an
actress. Or Fred could've been a
scientist. Gunn, well he'd
probably still be a fighter. But
at least each of you had the
opportunity to make that choice.
(beat)
I was born into this. I didn't get
that option to walk away. And now,
when I had a way out, the universe
just had to pull me back in. All
because I'm special.
Connor scoffs at that statement.
CONNOR
(bitterly)
Special. People try their whole
lives to be something special.
Never did a damn thing for me, did
it?
FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)
Only because you fought yourself.
Connor snaps to his feet and drops into a fighting stance.
His eyes widen in shock when he sees who's addressing him.
It's DARLA.
DARLA
You weren't ready to listen then.
Connor blinks his eyes. Three times. No way this is real.
DARLA
Are you ready now?
Off Connor's shellshocked face, we:
CUT TO:
INT. OCCULT SHOP - DAY
Alessia and Gabriella are sitting at a table. Gabriella has
her hand over her mouth and her eyes are red with tears.
Alessia regards her solemnly.
GABRIELLA
(choked up)
When did it happen?
ALESSIA
Apparently it's been ongoing for
quite some time. I got a call this
morning.
GABRIELLA
Why didn't anyone call me?
ALESSIA
Everyone's got caller i.d. these
days. Would you have answered?
Gabriella looks like she's barely registering anything.
Alessia reaches out and grasps her hand.
GABRIELLA
All of them are gone now?
ALESSIA
(somber)
Yes.
GABRIELLA
The last thing I said to her was
that I hated them all.
ALESSIA
She knew you didn't mean it.
GABRIELLA
That's the thing. On some level I
did. Not the person, just what
they represented.
Gabriella chuckles to herself, but there's nothing jovial
about it.
GABRIELLA
One of life's little ironies. A
family with a two hundred year
vendetta against a vampire gets
wiped out by vampires.
Alessia looks away. She's hiding something. Gabriella
immediately picks up on it.
GABRIELLA
This wasn't some random attack, was
it?
Alessia doesn't answer. She continues to look away. That's
all the answer Gabriella needs to put the pieces together.
EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
Connor is back to sitting against the tree. Darla is resting
on her knees in front of him. He can barely meet her eyes.
She's smiling a smile that only a mother can pull off.
DARLA
You cut your hair.
CONNOR
Pain in the ass to brush. Figured
you'd know that already. Aren't
you types supposed to be always
watching over us or something?
DARLA
Yes, but from afar. It's rare to
get a close up view.
(brushes his hair aside)
Thankfully the hair gel thing isn't
genetic.
(beat)
You're feeling lost.
CONNOR
Got a compass?
Darla stands and takes a few steps back.
DARLA
I can't really tell you much.
CONNOR
There's a shock.
DARLA
I can tell you that everything
that's happened recently, there's a
purpose to it.
Connor stands up and stretches.
CONNOR
So the Powers want me to be
homeless? Great. I'm guessing
this is some sort of test.
DARLA
No. More like preparation. I told
you before that we're all here to
serve a greater purpose. The
universe has a roundabout way of
getting us there, but eventually we
all get to the place we're meant to
be.
CONNOR
Like a four hundred year old mass
murdering vampire eventually giving
birth to a human?
DARLA
(smirking)
Something like that.
CONNOR
So I'm meant to be homeless.
Darla smiles. Off her face, we:
CUT TO:
INT. OCCULT SHOP - DAY
Back where we left off. Gabriella's tears are gone. Now
she's mad.
GABRIELLA
Our family was scattered all over
Europe. Someone had to be
systematically hunting them, Lesi.
Alessia finally turns to Gabriella and nods slowly.
GABRIELLA
Why?
ALESSIA
I think...
(beat)
I'm fairly certain it was
retaliation.
GABRIELLA
Retaliation?
ALESSIA
For the curse.
GABRIELLA
You think Angel went after them?
My car can fit through the holes in
that logic.
ALESSIA
Not that curse.
Gabriella's eyes narrow. Off her, we:
CUT TO:
EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
Darla is sitting on Cordy's headstone now. Connor's still
sitting against the tree.
DARLA
You were meant to be here. All the
things that happened to you,
Connor.
Being taken to Quor'Toth, the
memory spell, all of it was meant
to prepare you for what's coming.
CONNOR
And what exactly is that? Or can
you not answer that either?
Darla simply shakes her head.
CONNOR
Great. So what am I? What was all
this preparation turning me into?
DARLA
(plainly)
A champion.
CONNOR
Great. A homeless champion of the
Powers That Be.
DARLA
First, let go of the homeless bit.
Your dad was homeless for a century
before the Powers decided he was
ready to be shown the truth.
CONNOR
Really? A whole century?
DARLA
Ate rats and everything.
Connor winces at that one. Too much information.
DARLA
And second, you're not a champion
for the Powers. Well, not just
them.
CONNOR
Then who am I fighting for? Am I a
champion of the people or some
other lame ass moniker?
Darla looks away. Connor's beginning to lose his patience.
CONNOR
For once in my life, can a woman
give me a straight answer without
holding anything back?
DARLA
The wish of all men.
CONNOR
I'm not joking. Who am I fighting
for?
Long beat. Darla does not want to answer this.
DARLA
You're fighting as a representative
of the Powers That Be.
(beat)
And the Senior Partners.
CONNOR
What?!?
CUT TO:
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