A/N: This was originally written for the 3rd Lyric Wheel challenge (lyrics can be found here). If you read it there or in my LJ, it looks different now. That's because DeadSoul came up with the brilliant idea of rewriting it into script format. It's my first foray into script format, so be kind.
INT. A.I. OFFICE - DAY
ANGLE: CORDELIA AND DOYLE
CORDELIA is standing beside her desk, holding a piece of paper in one hand, the other at her throat.
DOYLE is leaning against the wall (he's obviously had a rough night), also holding a piece of paper.
CORDELIA turns away from DOYLE and leans on the desk. He takes this opportunity to do a little discreet ogling.
He runs his finger down the paper, trying to find his place.
She's starting to get pissed, hands on hips, frowning, the whole nine yards.
This is starting to get a little close to home for DOYLE. He turns his head away from CORDELIA and we see a pained expression cross his face.
DOYLE takes a deep breath and turns back to CORDELIA.
DOYLE has the snickers. His face works as he stares at his piece of paper.
DOYLE manages to get ahold of himself and gets his serious face back.
CORDELIA'S eyes light up. She loves explaining this stuff, and DOYLE will hang on her every word - because him lurves her. She's talking faster and faster, arms waving around to get her point across.
DOYLE looks a tad confused - do we blame him?
He has pushed himself away from the wall by now. Getting into the spirit of the thing, he turns completely away from Cordelia. She comes up to him and places a gentle hand on his shoulder.
He turns back to her and seizes her by her upper arms, dropping the paper.
He is leaning in now, is he going to go for it?
CORDELIA has smacked him hard on his arm, with the patented "I can't believe you're so stupid" Cordelia expression.
DOYLE lets her go and steps back, rubbing the sore spot.
ANGLE: THE FRONT DOOR OF A. I., LOOKING PAST THE BICKERING DUO. ANGEL IS LEANING AGAINST HIS DOORJAMB. HE IS PUZZLED.
DOYLE'S a bit sulky now.
He watches her go out the door, a wistful expression on his face, still rubbing his sore arm.
DOYLE starts and has to compose himself before pasting his happy-go-lucky expression on his face and turning to face ANGEL.
ANGEL is visibly stunned by this tidbit. He walks over to his desk and sits down, rifling through some papers and opening desk drawers, obviously looking for something.
ANGLE: FOLLOWING DOYLE INTO ANGEL'S OFFICE.
ANGEL stares at a check he's pulled from a desk drawer.
He is still staring at the check, lips moving like he's doing math in his head. (another vampire talent, don't you know?)
DOYLE pulls a chair up to Angel's desk and flops into it. His feet automatically start propping themselves on the desk, but at a glare from ANGEL, they place themselves tidily on the floor.
ANGEL takes one last look at the check, then gets his almost smirk on his face.
ANGLE: DOYLE'S STARTLED, EMBARRASSED FACE.
FADE OUT
INT. A.I. OFFICE - DAY
ANGLE: CORDELIA'S FACE
She looks all resolve-y and impassioned here - of course, on Cordelia, it just looks kinda pissy.
ANGLE: DOYLE, SPRAWLED IN CORDELIA'S DESK CHAIR
He is smirking as he looks down at a piece of paper in his hand.
A beat.
DOYLE snickers a bit.
CORDELIA'S face falls and her mouth moves as she rereads the line.
She looks up at DOYLE again and:
DOYLE attempts a leer.
CORDELIA rolls her eyes at the attempted leer, but carries on bravely
Still with the leering here.
DOYLE is squinting at the page in irritation.
CORDELIA isn't bothering to restrain the eye rolling this time. Or the foot tapping on the floor.
He's doing a little eye-rolling of his own right now.
ANGLE: DOYLE
DOYLE gets up from the chair and stalks over in front of CORDELIA, who is doing her best shocked face. He tries to put the big leery menace in his voice as he says
ANGLE: CORDELIA
And it's back to the stalwart look.
She takes a breath, then punches DOYLE right in the nose.
ANGLE: DOYLE
Blood starts gushing. [Note to MAKEUP and COSTUME: lots of blood and make it messy.] He doesn't even duck - it's obviously written in the 'script' they are following. He brings his hands to his nose (you know what I mean, it's the "oh, it hurts, but I gotta feel around" thing) and.
ANGLE: CORDELIA
She is shocked by all the blood, but honestly puzzled by his reaction.
ANGLE: DOYLE
Oooo, he's mad now!
ANGLE: CORDELIA
And bless her little self-centered heart, the other shoe is starting to drop. Her voice trails off at the end of the line.
ANGLE: DOYLE
ANGLE: CORDELIA
She's trying her best to look sorry here - but there's still puzzlement.
ANGLE: OVER DOYLE'S SHOULDER
DOYLE turns away from CORDELIA and wrenches open the door into ANGEL'S office. He stomps through the door, slams it behind him and throws himself into a chair. ANGEL is pretty much speechless.
ANGLE: ANGEL AND DOYLE
ANGEL rummages in a desk drawer and pulls out a bottle. He looks at a sparkly clean, white handkerchief that is on the corner of his desk (why? Because I'm the writer and I said so!), sighs audibly and passes both over to DOYLE.
DOYLE'S voice is muffled by the no longer sparkly clean handkerchief he has pressed to his face. He takes a drink from the bottle and grimaces before answering.
ANGEL'S doing the 'lean back in the desk chair and try not to laugh' thing.
Long pause here while DOYLE takes another drink from the bottle and ponders what ANGEL just said.
FADE OUT
INT. A.I. OFFICE - DAY
ANGLE: DOYLE
He is perched on the corner of Cordelia's desk, looking at yet another piece of paper.
CORDELIA
Ahhhhhhh!
ANGLE: CORDELIA
She looks at him expectantly.
PULL BACK FROM CORDELIA
ANGLE: DOYLE AND CORDELIA
Cordelia is a little wounded.
ANGLE: DOYLE
He is incredulous at this statement.
PULL BACK TO DOYLE AND CORDELIA
Cordelia is mildly pouty, but recognizes that just this once, he may be right.
DOYLE
Better. Now, let's see here, right.
Come back, it was just a joke!
CORDELIA
Billy, that was so mean!
You better not try that again!
She moves as if to smack him on the arm. He scootches along the desk until he's out of reach. He's learned his lesson.
And having learned another lesson, he says
ANGLE: ANGEL'S OFFICE, LOOKING TOWARDS THE DOOR
Angel is standing beside his door, which is open just enough to let us see DOYLE perched on the desk.
ANGLE: DOYLE AND CORDELIA
She rolls her eyes and she and DOYLE share a companionable smile.
ANGLE: ANGEL
Still listening at the door.
ANGLE: DOYLE AND CORDELIA
Doyle's not gonna push his luck here, he goes for the safe zone.
CORDELIA
I'm serious, Billy. I really
heard something. Go outside and
look, please?
DOYLE
Yeah, 'cause that's never caused
someone to get sliced and diced.
(off her look)
CORDELIA
Be careful, okay?
DOYLE
How long is this pause here?
Cordelia shrugs her shoulders.
ANGLE: ANGEL
He reluctantly cracks a smile as we hear DOYLE snicker.
ANGLE: DOYLE AND CORDELIA
Cordelia grins, then quickly wipes it off.
She mimes walking towards something.
Okay, it's a window - she mimes pulling back a curtain and looking out.
The 'curtain' drops back into place and she's shrieking with the classic 'horror face' - hands to cheeks, eyes wide
Doyle beams at her.
She flashes him a big, sunny Cordelia smile and grabs her purse as she walks to the door.
DOYLE
Luck.
He holds the smile on his face until the door closes - then he lets it drop and we see how much he cares.
ANGLE: ANGEL
Angel opens his door all the way.
Doyle is not startled by this, leading us to believe that he knew what Angel was doing the whole time. Still facing the door.
ANGEL
That's a direct quote, I assume?
ANGLE: DOYLE
He rolls his eyes just a touch.
ANGLE: ANGEL AND DOYLE
Doyle hops off the desk and faces Angel with a smirk on his face. He's obviously heard a whole lot more than he ever wanted to about the subject.
FADE OUT.
Like this? Hate it? Please drop the author a note, or use the feedback form -- it makes us all happy. (well, maybe not if you hated it, but you get the idea.) [an error occurred while processing this directive]