Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1996–2003): Season 7, Episode 20 - Touched - full transcript

Previously on
Buffy the vampire slayer.

Hey, got a spare bed
for a wanted fugitive?

Hello, faith.

You've got
a rough sitch here.

Trying to turn a bunch
of little girls into an army.

They're potential slayers,
just like we were.

- Call me Caleb.
- I heard you have something of mine.

I do now.

No!

I work in mysterious ways.

Xander!



I'm not saying
it's a happy scenario,

but we're dealing with a big bad that
can be any dead person it wants.

At long last.

A slayer.

We spent all this time worrying
about the seal and the hellmouth.

The bad guys always go
where the power is.

They're protecting the vineyard
or something at the vineyard.

And I say it's time we go in
and take it away from them.

- How about we don't?
- This is a hell of a lot to ask.

And now what? Suddenly you're all
acting like you can't trust me?

We have to be together on this. You can't
be a part of it, so I need you to leave.

Look, I swear I didn't want it
to go this way.

Don't. Whether you wanted it
or not, their lives are yours.

"Power to the people"? You sound
like a child of the '70s.



- We're in charge of ourselves.
- Okay, guys. Let's try not to freak out.

All I'm saying is,
now that Buffy's not here,

we finally have some say in how
and when we lose our necks.

Maybe you don't have to be so blunt
about the "losing of the necks" bit.

No, let the girl speak the truth.
We're all on death's door,

repeatedly ringing the doorbell like
maniacal girl scouts trying to make quota.

I'm thinkin' that maybe everyone
here shouldn't have a say.

W-we just have to find some way of having
constructive dialogue without going completely mad.

Do you know
the parliamentary procedure?

'Cause that's a convenient way
of organizing...

I just wonder if those of us who have been
here longer should have more of a say.

Also it wouldn't be so chaotic.
Faith, what do you think?

When I was involved with
the model u.N.,

we found the parliamentary
procedure to be a total lifesaver.

She's gonna be fine.
Really, it's for the best.

Yeah? Then why
do I feel like this?

Only we had this system which allowed
us to organize our conversation.

- I hear what
you're saying, but...

You guys, I think we're wasting
time, arguing about how to argue.

- Well, why don't we...
- please do not mention parliamentary procedure.

- I second that.
- Everyone listen to me. Chill.

All right, it's been a long night. I
don't know about you, but I'm wiped.

Maybe we should catch some sleep and
figure all this out in the morning.

- Do we have time to waste?
- Look. I understand you guys are wicked stressed.

Frankly, our situation blows.

We've gotta stay cool. It's the only
way we're gonna get through this.

Can everyone handle that?

We'll get some rest, and then
tomorrow, things won't seem so...

What's happening?

I'll get some candles,
if we have candles.

I'll check the fuse box.
Don't bother.

All the lights in
the whole street just went out.

- Which means?
- The people from the power company...

Have got the hell
out of sunnydale.

I think I'm freaking out.

- Okay. I'm gonna get
a flashlight.

Don't move.
Get out of my house.

Hey. I thought the
place would be empty.

I was looking
for a place to crash.

You know,
you really should leave.

- You can't just kick me out of my own house.
- Why not?

It's what all the cool kids
are doing nowadays.

It's not your house.

It's not your town.

Not anymore.

Got any tab?

I spy with my little eye something
that begins with a "t".

- Tapestry.
- Hey! Good one. How did you...

Tapestry is the only thing
in the whole bloody room.

Ah. So say you, but I say,
look deeper.

I'll look deep into your jugular
is what I'll look at.

Don't spazz out!
I'm not...

Don't say another word.

Rock, paper, scissors?

What's the matter with you? Don't
you understand what's happening?

Uh, yeah, we're waiting here
till it's night again,

so you can ride on your
motorcycle without exploding.

And every minute we're stuck here, the
slayer's out there facing hell knows what.

Come on. What's the worst thing
that could happen to her?

All right!
So, what do we know?

Well, we know we're basically the
last humans left in sunnydale.

And that all the evil
in town wants us dead.

- I don't want to die.
- Don't worry.

It's far more likely you'll live long enough
to watch most of your friends die first.

And then you'll die.
We also know...

That Caleb told Buffy that
everything's going down at the seal.

- I think we should head...
- let's not get ahead of ourselves.

So, we know we've got a lot
of enemies. We'll start there.

- Faith, I'm sorry...
- I got this, okay?

So, let's go over our rogue's gallery.
Who exactly do we have here?

Well, there's the first,
who we can't touch.

And there's our friend...
The reverend "I hate women."

Who's basically untouchable.
There's the 'roid-rage vamps,

who are pretty much the worst...
And the, uh...

Bringers! I think
they're our weakest link.

Are you thinking of attacking
the bringers? Maybe or...

- okay, we could kidnap one.
- And what? Hold it ransom?

Yeah, I'll get the magazines and
start ripping out the letters now.

"Dear Mr. first,
if you want your bringer back,

"well, we'll be surprised, because
you've got, like, three million of them.

So please disregard this letter.
Yours sincerely..."

I'm saying, think about getting
us a bringer and making it talk.

Find out info on the first
and Caleb that way.

How do you think we should catch one
if they don't want to be found?

Okay. I'm not sure
this is such a good idea.

Why try and get information when
we already know about the seal?

Why don't we send a team to the
high school, do some recon, and...

- No.
- Just like that?

- You're not even listening.
- Sweetie, you're pushing too hard.

I thought things would be different
now, but you keep shutting me down.

Things are different,
because now...

I'm your boss.

Look, you guys, I'm not Buffy. I'm not the
one who's been on your asses all this time.

But I'm not one of you
anymore either.

I'm your leader, which means I
go first, and I make the rules,

and the rest of you follow
after me... is that clear?

So, Kennedy, back the hell off
and let me do my job, all right?

Okay.
Let's get down to business.

I was hoping you'd bring me
some better news.

And I wish I had some.

Is this gonna do anything? Or is all
this just to make the bringers sweat?

Do the bringers sweat?
Actually, I think they pant.

Like dogs. And I don't know
if this is gonna do any good,

but we have
to try everything.

You realize
what will happen...

If the slayer and
her girls get it, don't you?

They won't.
That's right. They won't.

Because you're going
to kill all of them.

And everyone they know.

Hallelujah.

I've never been
the bait before.

That was, uh, actually
kind of scary.

We had your back.
You did well.

Your performance as a
disgruntled Minion was spot-on.

I'm method.

Let's get this back
to the captain.

Oh, hey. So?

Ah, the bringer's dumb.
Oh.

You were expecting what,
a Rhodes scholar?

- Dumb as in "mute."
- Someone ripped out its tongue.

- Oh, gross!
- Hey.

I-I've been reading this
old Turkish spell book.

There's an old conjuration that the ancient
Turks used to communicate with the dying.

Oh, yeah. I think I've read
a translation of that.

There's a translation of it?

I'm over it.

Um, so this spell is used to communicate
with people who can't talk.

Like, if a person was dying,
this spell would let them...

Say their good-byes, or, you know, gripe
about how nobody came to visit them.

Would this help us
with Mr. no-tongue?

Yeah. I think so.

I-I just need to get together
a few ingredients and...

All right. Well, cool. While Willow
does that, the rest of us can...

- We're back!
- Spike.

- Hey.
- Hi, everybody. I missed you guys a lot.

Sorry it took so long to get back from our mission
mission, but we had to wait out the sun...

Uh, I think our...
Our mission went very well.

We, uh... we rode on spike's
hog, which was very cool,

and played some amusing games.

And uh... oh!
We got some information...

You know what?
I really need to urinate.

He's a breath of fresh air,
isn't he?

Thank god I don't breathe.
So. I think we got a lead.

Where's Buffy?
Um, she's not here right now.

When does she get back?

Uh...

While you were gone,
we all got together and...

Uh, talked out some disagreements
that we were having.

A-and eventually,
after much discussion,

Buffy decided that it would
be best for all of us...

If she... took
a little time off.

A little breather.

Uh-huh.

I see. Been practicing that
little speech long, have you?

So, uh, Buffy took some time off right
in the middle of the apocalypse,

- and it was her decision.
- Well, we all decided.

Oh, yeah.
You all decided.

You sad, sad,
ungrateful traitors.

- Who do you think you are?
- We're her friends. We just wanted...

Oh, that's ballsy of you! You're her
friends and you betray her like this.

- Uh, you don't understand.
- You know, I think I do. Rupert.

You used to be
the big man, didn't you?

The teacher,
all full of wisdom.

Now she's surpassed you,
and you can't handle it.

She has saved your lives
again and again.

She has died for you,
and this is how you thank her.

Hey! Why don't you
take it down a notch or two?

The time for speech-giving
is over, bad boy.

Oh! Is that right?

Yeah, that's right.
Save your lack of breath.

All right.

You're pretty sweet
on her, aren't you?

I think it's cute...
The way she's got you whipped.

Enough!

Finally got what you wanted,
didn't you?

- Where is she?
- I don't know!

Speak to us.

Maybe I should
rough him up a little.

Andrew!
Be quiet!

I don't know, guys.
That should have worked.

I am a drone in the mind
that is evil.

Could you just shut up?

I say I'm part of the great darkness.
Somebody needs a reality check.

Or a muzzle.
Wait.

I'm only a fragment of the "we".

We work as one
to serve the first.

Okay. What do you...
The "we"... do for the first?

We work to prepare
for the inevitable battle.

How? Tell me exactly
what the bringers are doing.

Kennedy, he can't see
the knife.

We can feel the knife.

Kennedy...

We tend to the needs
of the infinite evil.

We exterminate girls and destroy
the legacy of the slayer.

We build an arsenal
beneath the dirt.

We obey the commands
of our teacher, Caleb.

Wait. Could we go back
to the dirt thing?

We build weapons
to prepare for the coming war.

At the farthest edge of town.

We are everywhere.
We are like the ocean's waves.

We watch your efforts
and are not scared.

We will laugh at you
as you die.

Hold the bananas!

You are so lucky that you did not
just magically decapitate me.

We've got enough here. We
need to get faith in on this.

Xander, gather some maps. We need to find
a subterranean space large enough...

To house an armory. I feel used and
violated and... I need a lozenge.

There you are.

Do you realize I could
just walk in here?

No invite needed?

This town really is
theirs now, isn't it?

I heard.
I was over there.

That bitch!

She all about smiles and reformation
when you're on your feet.

But the moment you're down, she's all
about the kicking. Isn't that right?

Makes me want...
It wasn't just faith.

It was all of them.

And it's not like
they were wrong.

- Please leave.
- No.

This'll change your tune. I came here
'cause I've got something to tell you.

You were right.

Caleb is trying to
protect something from you.

And I think you were
spot-on all the way.

I think it's
at the vineyard. So?

You were right.

Buffy?

I don't feel very right.

You're not foolin' me.

- What do you even mean?
- Well, you're not a quitter.

- Watch me.
- You were their leader.

And you still are.

This isn't something you gave up.
It's something they took.

- And the difference is?
- We can take it back.

Sewer tunnel on
the north side's closest,

so I guess we'll start there.

Sounds fine. What time
shall I tell everyone?

How about... around 7:00?

7:00 sharp.

So, tomorrow we fight.

Tomorrow. Good night, faith.
Faith?

- Yeah?
- You're doing just fine.

I'd say better than fine. I'd
say you're doing a bang-up job.

- Get out.
- Well, gosh.

I think, you know, a "hello," or a "nice to
see you," might be a little more welcome.

It's the end of humanity,
faith, not the end of courtesy.

You're wasting your time. I
know who you are. What you are.

Yeah, yeah... nobody's explained
to you how this works, have they?

You see, I am
part of the first,

as you kids call it,
but I'm also... me:

Richard Wilkins III, late mayor
and founder of sunnydale.

Here, I'll prove it to you. Ask me a
question only I know the answer to.

Something like...

"where did I hide the moon pies
in my office?"

Or, "who was my favorite
character in little women?"

Meg.

I know! I know! Most people guess Beth,
but Meg, she's such a proper young lady.

Remember when Jo burned her hair?
I know what you're doing.

And it's not gonna work.
But feel free to keep talkin'.

Because, hell, I could listen to you yap
all night. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

Language!
You're a leader now.

You keep throwin' the
"h-e-double-hockey-sticks" around,

pretty soon the girls are gonna
pick up on it, then what?

You let me worry about the girls.
Of course, of course.

You're doin' a great job with 'em, by the
way. Much better than Buffy ever did.

- You were smart to kick her out.
- That's not what we...

Buffy got 'em this far.
Why are you protecting her?

You think she cares about you?
She nearly killed you, faith.

It's different now.

No matter what you do,

Buffy will always
see you as a killer.

Not as a person. And now you have
what she so desperately wants.

The respect of these girls.
All she needs is an excuse,

and she'll finish what she started when
she stuck that knife in your belly.

You stay on guard, faith.
Buffy's dangerous.

If you're not careful,
she'll destroy you.

I'm just sayin'!

No?
No.

You mean no as in,
"eventually"?

You really have problems
with that word, don't you?

You can get them back!
Can? Maybe.

Should?

I'm just so tired.

They need you!

Well, i... it's bloody chaos
over there without you!

It is?
Yeah! Yeah.

It's, uh...
There's junk.

You know, food cartons.
Sleeping bags not rolled up.

Everyone's very scared
and, uh, unkempt.

Sounds dire.
I didn't see a lot.

I came, hit faith
a bunch of times, and left.

Really? I mean,
not that I'm glad, but...

You say the word, and
she's a footnote in history.

I'll make it look like
a painful accident.

That's my problem.

I say the word,
some girl dies.

Every time.

There's always
casualties in war.

Casualties in...

It just sounds so...
Casual.

These are... girls.

That I got killed.

I cut myself off from them.

All of them.

I knew I was gonna
lose some of them, and...

I didn't...

You know what?
I'm still making excuses.

I've always cut myself off.

I've always...

Being the slayer
made me different.

But it's my fault
I stayed that way.

People are always trying
to connect to me.

And I just...
Slip away.

You should know.

I seem to recall a certain
amount of connecting.

Oh, please.
We were never close.

You just wanted me because I was...
Unattainable.

You think that's
all that was?

Please, let's not go over the past.
Oh, no, no!

Oh, let's hold on here!

I've hummed along
to your pity ditty.

- I think I should have the Mike for a bit.
- Fine.

The stage is yours.
Cheer me up.

You're insufferable.

Thank you. That really helped.
I'm not tryin' to cheer you up.

What are you trying to say?
I don't know!

I'll know when I'm done sayin' it.
Something pissed me off, and I just...

"unattainable," that's it.
Fine.

I'm attainable. I'm a...
I'm an "attain-a-thon."

May I please just go to sleep?

You listen to me.

I've been alive
a bit longer than you.

And dead a lot
longer than that.

I've seen things
you couldn't imagine.

And done things
I prefer you didn't.

Don't exactly have a reputation
for being a thinker.

I follow my blood,

which doesn't exactly rush in
the direction of my brain.

So I make
a lot of mistakes.

A lot of wrong
bloody calls.

A hundred-plus years.

And there's only one thing
I've ever been sure of.

You.

Hey, look at me.

I'm not asking you
for anything.

When I say I love you,
it's not because I want you.

Or because
I can't have you.

It has nothing
to do with me.

I love what you are.
What you do.

How you try.

I've seen your kindness,
and your strength.

I've seen the best
and the worst of you.

And I understand, with perfect
clarity, exactly what you are.

You're a hell of a woman.

You're the one, Buffy.

I don't want to be the one.

I don't want to be this
good-looking and athletic.

We all have crosses to bear.

You get some rest now.

I'll check in
before first light.

You can decide
how you want.

Spike.

Could you... stay here?

Sure.

That diabolical old
torture device, the comfy chair.

- It'll do me fine.
- No.

I mean... here.

Will you just hold me?

Deep down, you always wanted
Buffy to accept you.

To love you, even.
Why do you think that is?

You a shrink now?
You keep looking for love...

And acceptance from these
people, these friends of yours.

But you're never gonna find it.
The truth is,

nobody will ever love you.

- Not the way I love you.
- Get out.

- They'll forever see you as a killer.
- I said, get out.

I'll always be with you, firecracker.
In everything you do.

Faith? You shouldn't
sneak up like that.

- I almost took your head off.
- Sorry. I knocked.

- What'd you see?
- Just you, looking spooked. What happened?

Are you sure you're all right?
What?

You wanna rap
about my problems now?

Are you looking to be the guy who
puts the "pal" in "principal" for me?

Okay. You know what? I came up
here to talk to you about weapons.

I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing.
I'm just...

Listen, I'm gonna leave you alone.
I didn't mean to intrude.

It was the first.

Well, you're really
in the game now, faith.

The first doesn't show itself
unless it thinks you matter.

Lucky me. I'm a player.

Man, look at that.
My hand's shakin'!

Demons, vampires, women
in the penitentiary system...

- none of that freaks me out!
- That's exactly what the first does.

- Find your achilles' heel.
- No, it just talked to me. It does a heal thing too?

Um, it's, um...
It's a phrase.

Your weak spot.
Oh.

The school thing.

I was kinda absent that decade.

So, who was it?

The first.

He was like
an old boss of mine.

Just a boss? And he's got
you shakin' like this?

Wouldn't give you
a raise, huh?

Yeah, right.

No, it sounds retarded,
but he was like a dad to me.

Oh.

It was my mother
when it came to me.

And I mean, it was her,
right down to the perfume.

Sorry.
Yeah.

I'm so pissed off at myself.
I knew it was a trick.

So did I. But I still wanted my
mother to hold me like a little baby.

In a manly way,
of course.

Of course.

Listen, nobody wants
to be alone, faith.

We all want someone who cares,
to be touched that way.

I mean, the first
deals in figments.

But that wanting is real.

Hittin' things, and... A whole
lot of Jack "d" dulls it some.

Among other things.

When it came to you,
did the first tell the truth?

- Yeah.
- It said to watch out for Buffy.

- That Buffy's dangerous.
- And what do you think?

Could be. I mean, we've given her
pretty good reason to be pissed off.

You know, the messed-up thing...

The first is tellin' me to worry about
her, and I just wish she was here.

In a couple of hours, I'm gonna lead
these girls into some serious crap.

- And she's the only one...
- She's not the only one.

You're a slayer too, faith.

And I think
you're a good leader.

I'm an ex-con who didn't
finish high school.

Yeah. Well, I'm the principal of
a school where nobody finished.

And I am completely
out of my league in this.

Oh. I hear otherwise.

So, um...

Tomorrow, then?
Forget about tomorrow.

This is tonight.

Been a while.

Am I out of line?

Hey. You're the leader.

Okay, guys. Giles said faith wants us
to start early in the morning, so...

What happened to the girls?

- Looks like there's only one girl here.
- What about the other ones?

With their sleeping bags, and their
headgear and their snoring...

They're not here, are they?

Nope.

Well, that's nice.

Hmm? Nice?

Mm.
And necessary.

Come here, you.

Foreplay was threatening
to turn into "twelve-play."

Something not right?

No.

No, I just, uh...

I guess I'm a little scared.

It's probably stupid
to ask why, huh?

Death, war, apocalypse.

Me.

I'm just scared
that if we...

Then I'll...

And then...
And then?

Isn't that the good part?

Good? Yeah, good.
Good feeling.

Mm-hmm.
But also...

Bad stuff? Like,

unrestrained moaning
and screaming with joy?

Well, sort of.

The unrestrained part.

But I just have kind of
been in a space where i...

I should be restrained.

I've been controlling
myself, and i...

If I lose
that control...

And let myself go, i...

I could just go.
Hmm.

You're worried you're gonna
turn into big, bad Willow?

It's not stupid.

When we first kissed, i...

I turned into... Warren.

It's not stupid.
But it's not gonna happen.

I just want you to know
that you're safe with me.

Yeah?

You can float around,
and I'll tether you down.

You'll be like...
My kite string.

Mm-hmm.
You be a kite,

and I'll be
your kite string, okay?

Okay.
Okay.

Mm. Come here.

They could show
a little respect, you know?

Mm.
I mean...

They should at least acknowledge
the fact that some people...

Might not want to listen to
an a cappella concert...

Of people, you know...

Moaning and groaning.
Mm.

Disgusting, is what it is.
A little jealous, huh?

Of course I am.
I'm a lot jealous.

I mean, if we're done
having sex, then...

I think other people
should just knock it off.

♪ I used to think that
I knew what we needed ♪

♪ Just assumed
we would always be fine ♪

♪ Now I don't think
that we lost the feeling ♪

♪ But we let everything
build up inside ♪

♪ It's only love ♪

♪ But love ♪

♪ Should make us strong ♪

♪ It's only love ♪

♪ But love ♪

♪ Has been ♪

♪ Hurting for so ♪

♪ Long ♪

♪ And it's so hard if you ♪

♪ Tear them apart ♪

♪ Only love ♪

♪ And its alternative ♪

♪ Hopin' to learn only ♪

♪ Love ♪♪

I envy them.

Isn't that the strangest thing?

Well, it does throw me a tad.

I mean, they're just... well,
they're barely more than animals.

Feedin' off each other's flesh.
It's nauseatin'.

But you?

You're everywhere.

You're in the hearts
of little children.

You're in the souls
of the rich.

You're the fire that makes
people kill and hate.

The fire that will cure
the world of weakness.

They're just sinners.

You are sin.

I do enjoy your sermons.

And you're in me.

Gave me strength
no man can have.

You're the only man strong
enough to be my vessel.

And I know you feel me,
but...

I know why they
grab at each other.

To feel.

I wanna feel.

I want to wrap my hands around some
innocent neck and feel it crack.

Amen.

So, it turned out that all these stone
tablets basically said the same thing.

The first and Caleb
are protecting something,

and-and we don't know
exactly what it is,

but it's-it's something powerful, and
they don't want the slayers to get it.

I'm thinking it could be a weapon, and
if we're looking for an arsenal...

- you're not coming.
- If one is looking for an arsenal,

what better place
to find a... weapon.

Okay. Got it. Good.
Good thinking, Andrew.

It's a pleasure, faith.
Back to you. Okay.

I need you four to suss out
the situation on b.

I don't want you talkin'
to her, or getting in her way.

Or for that matter, letting her know
you're there. Just do a little recon.

And where do you want me, faith?
By your phone.

- I'll call you when I need you.
- What are we looking for?

I mean, is there some reason
we should spy on Buffy?

We're just makin' sure
she's okay.

Those of you who are coming with me
to the arsenal, you know who you are.

Everybody ready?
Let's do this thing.

Shouldn't be long now.

Prophecies say one thing.
Brute strength says another.

- We'll get it out.
- I heard you, Caleb.

We're almost there.

Yes. That's true.

Now, rouse the bringers.
Get them back to work.

Hey! Heard you got
something of mine.

Well! If it ain't
the prodigal slayer.

Where's it at? Well, I'm gonna
find it, sooner or later.

No, you're not. I lay one hand on you,
and you're just a dead little girl.

Lay a hand on me.
If you can.

Caleb, this is
getting embarrassing.

- Do you have to look like that?
- Will you concentrate?

- It's just a little confusing!
- Fine. Go. Kill.

Everybody stop.
I think we just found it.

Look at all this.

I don't get it.

Why'd they abandon
all this stuff?

Maybe 'cause they didn't.

You whore!

You know, you really
should watch your language.

If someone didn't know you, they might
think you were a woman-hating jerk.

Is that it? I mean,

not that that
wasn't fun, but...

Yo, faith! Check this out.

Everybody get down!

Grr! Arrgh!