Buffy Logo 'Fool For Love'
Story Code '5ABB07'

by Douglas Petrie
Buffy

Buffy is fighting a vampire in the cemetery when the creature gains the upper hand and stabs her in the stomach with her own stake. Luckily, Riley arrives and chases the vampire off, just as Buffy passes out. The next morning, Riley helps bandage her injury; they are interrupted when Dawn and Joyce enter Buffy’s bedroom, but are successfully able to hide Buffy’s wound from her mother with a little help from Dawn. Buffy asks her sister to help keep her injury from their mom, as she is still worried about Joyce’s condition. That evening, Riley, Anya, Willow and Xander go out on patrol in Buffy’s stead; Riley skulks about using his Initiative training, while the other just watch and eat potato chips. Buffy’s injury has made her realise how easily she can be harmed, and so she and Giles research how previous Slayers have died; during their conversation Buffy becomes aware of how deeply devoted Giles is to her. She decides to pay a visit to Spike and asks him to tell her how he killed two previous Slayers; they go to ‘The Bronze’, where Buffy buys him beer, with the promise of more cash if he tells her what she wants to hear.

London, 1888: Young William is at a party, composing poetry for the object of his affection; he becomes embarrassed when one partygoer reads his poetry out loud, and nicknames him ‘William the Bloody’ as his poetry is so bloody awful. The subject of William’s poetry, Cecily, sits alone, and is horrified when William tells her how he feels, as she considers him beneath her. Distraught, William leaves the party and soon finds himself alone in a stable. A young woman approaches him - Drusilla. She is obviously taken with William, and soon he too is captivated, not flinching when she takes on her vampire face. She offers him the life that she has, and he lets her drink from him.

Sunnydale, the present: Riley and the others find a nest of vampires, one of whom is the creature that stabbed Buffy. Realising that there are too many of them to deal with, they decide to return at daybreak when the vampires will be asleep. At ‘The Bronze’, Spike is trying to explain what it i like to become a vampire…

Yorkshire 1880; Angelus, Darla, Drusilla and William are hiding in a mine shaft, due to the fact that William brought too much attention to them. When he and Angelus get into a fight, William tells them to address him now as ‘Spike’. Angelus warns him that he might have to face a Slayer, and Spike asks what that is.

Sunnydale, the present: Buffy asks Spike how he killed his first Slayer. Spike grabs her and reminds her that a vampire is always armed, but a Slayer has to reach for a weapon; the only thing a vampire fears is the Slayer.

China, 1900: while the Boxer Rebellion is in full force Spike fights a young Chinese woman - the current Slayer. She slashes Spike’s left eyebrow with a sword and begins to fight him; however Spike ultimately overpowers the Slayer and drinks her blood. Afterwards, he and Drusilla meet up with Angel - now with his soul restored, but pretending to be Angelus - and Darla; unhappy with Spike’s accomplishment, Angel urges them all to leave the village, and the four of them stride confidently through the burning township.

Sunnydale, the present: Buffy is disgusted that Spike obviously got off on his kill. He tells her that as there is only one Slayer the odds are against her, because one vampire can sire thousands; Buffy is confident that she can handle anything, but Spike makes his point by pressing her injury, despite getting hurt by his chip in return. Buffy challenges Spike to continue with his ‘lesson’ he grabs a pool cue and they head outside. Meanwhile, at the vampires’ nest, Riley stakes the vampire that hurt Buffy and then drops a grenade on the floor. Before any of the vampires can escape, he runs outside and the crypt explodes. Spike and Buffy begin to fight in an alley behind ‘The Bronze’; she pins him to the wall and demands to hear about the other Slayer he killed…

New York City, 1977: Spike battles a young black woman in a subway carriage. The two are evenly matched, and as we see them fight, the younger Spike addresses the Buffy of the present; he observes that she and this Slayer have the same style, and as he battles the 70’s Slayer, he and Buffy mirror the moves in the alley. Spike reminds Buffy that the battle never stops; her life is on the line every day, and part of her craves the terror. Spike knocks the 70s Slayer to the floor and sits astride her; as he lifts her head, he tells Buffy that all the training and techniques cannot save her, because eventually all Slayers give up the will to live. He breaks the 70’s Slayers neck, and then takes her long, black leather coat for himself. Spike tells Buffy that the only reason she has lived this long is that she has friends and family give her an anchor, and a reason to go on.

Sunnydale, the present: Buffy tells Spike to leave, but instead of going his look softens, and it seems as if he is going to try to kiss her. Incredulous, Buffy demands to know what he is doing. She shoves him away, and tells him that even if she were ready for death, she would never turn to him. She throws his money over him, and another woman he desires tells William that she is beneath him. As Buffy walks away, Spike gathers up the money, trying not to cry as his look turns to hatred. Back at his crypt, he loads a shotgun and tells Harmony he is going to kill Buffy.

South America, 1998: Drusilla accuses Spike of having Buffy continually on his mind. A hugely-antlered Chaos Demon stands between them clutching flowers. Spike cannot believe that Drusilla was on a date with it to punish him, but Drusilla tells him that he no longer interests her as she can see Buffy’s image all over him, and he will not kill Buffy for her.

Sunnydale, the present: Buffy arrives home to find her mother packing, about to go to hospital for more tests because the doctors have found something. Hearing this Buffy numbly walks into the garden, and sits on the steps, crying. Spike approaches, ready to shoot her; but as he sees her he softens, and sits next to her, ready to help. Buffy does not want to talk, so they simply sit together in silence…

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Marc Blucas (Riley Finn), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn), James Marsters (Spike), Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles), David Boreanaz (Angelus / Angel), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), Julie Benz (Darla), Mercedes McNab (Harmony), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Kali Rocha (Cecily Addams), Edward Fletcher (Male Partygoer), Katharine Leonard (Female Partygoer), Matthew Lang (2nd Male Partygoer), Chris Daniels (Stabbing Vampire), Kenneth Feinberg (Chaos Demon), Steve Heinze (Vampire #1), Ming Liu (Chinese Slayer), April Wheedon-Washington (Subway Slayer)
Directed by Nick Marck

TX (US): 14th November 2000
TX (UK - Sky One): 16th February 2001

Notes:
*Featuring Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Riley, Anya, Tara and Dawn