For Emily Sinclair. You have one sick sense of humor, Emma.

Originally broadcasted 10/28/03

Fade In:

Ext.

City Street – Halloween Night

Andrew adjusted the United States Air Force uniform he wore. He looked back at the group of ten pre-teen Slayers, ranging in age from ten to thirteen, who had accompanied him on his trick-or-treating excursion. One of them, a blonde girl of about twelve, dressed in a leotard as a black cat, ran up to him 

“Hey, Andrew. Where are we headed next?” she inquired.

“Well, Marsha,” he answered, before pausing and putting in his best Jan Brady voice said, “Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!”

The girl looked totally confused, so he went on.

“Ah-anyway, I thought we’d hit up the apartment complex a couple of blocks that way.” He pointed to the east. “Then to the neighborhood behind it. Then back to the Council.”

“Okay!” she responded in a chipper voice.

He watched as she rejoined the others. As he did, he noticed two of the other girls whispering to each other and giggling. He walked up to them.

“Hey, guys! What’s up?”

They turned. One of them, an Asian girl, stepped up to him.

“Andrew, we were wondering who you are supposed to be dressed as,” she asked.

Andrew slumped his shoulders and let out a frustrated sigh. His chaperone mode disappeared and was immediately replaced with a whiney voice.

“C’mon guys. I told you already,” he said before he saluted. “I’m Colonel Jack O’Neil. Commander of SG-1, a special team sent by the government through the Starga –” He stopped short when he noticed all the girls giggling at him. “What’s so funny?”

The Asian girl’s friend answered with a Texas twang.

“We already know that. It’s just funny to watch you explain.” They began to walk off, still giggling. She continued as they did, “Not that a 20-year old going trick-or-treating isn’t funny by itself.”

Andrew held back until he was sure they were out of earshot. He began to mutter under his breath. “We’ll see who gets the last laugh, slayers. When you see how much candy I have compared to you, we’ll see indeed.”

He felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around with a yelp. It was the blonde girl.

“Don’t worry, Andrew. I think your costume’s great.”

A huge ear-to-ear smile crossed his face.

“Aw. Thanks, Marsha,” he said.

She gave him a friendly pat on the arm before racing up to join the others.

Andrew started after them, then stopped. He turned his head, looking for something from the corner of his eye. Walking through the cemetery across the street, Kennedy and Faith could be seen

“I wonder what they’re doing out patrolling tonight,” he mused. “I mean it’s –”

Cut To:

Ext.

Cemetery – Same Time

“Halloween,” Kennedy informed Faith as they walked along. “Giles said that demons and vamps wouldn’t be out tonight. So why are we here?”

Faith stopped her walk through the cemetery and spun to confront the younger Slayer. 

“For three reasons, Brat. One, I thought we could stand to know the area a little better. Two, I told you so. Three, you never know what will or won’t show up, regardless of any holiday.” Just as she finished, two human sized blurs ran by her. She casually pointed in the direction they ran. “Like the two vamps that just blew by us,” she remarked with a knowing sigh.

They paused a moment before both of them broke into a sprint, giving chase. After running for about twenty yards, the vampires split off. Faith continued to chase after the one that veered to the right while Kennedy followed the one to the left, hurdling a headstone as she ran.

Faith caught up to her target fairly quickly. She lunged and tackled him. They rolled on the ground a couple of times before popping back up to their feet.

Meanwhile, Kennedy had sped up and overtaken her vampire. She circled around so he couldn’t see her. As he rounded the corner of a mausoleum, he found her leaning up against it with her arms crossed. He stopped short and began to back up, trying to get away. She pushed off the wall and began walking toward him, arms still crossed.

“Guess you didn’t get the memo,” she said. “Either that or you don’t know how to read a calendar. Tonight’s Halloween. It’s supposed to be your night off.”

“Get away from me,” he responded, the fear thick in his voice. “You don’t want to slay me.”

Kennedy simply pulled a stake out of her jacket pocket. The vampire turned to run. She did not give pursuit. Instead, she threw the stake with a powerful flick of her wrist. It flew into his back, right behind the heart. She walked over as he exploded into dust, knelt down and retrieved her stake.

“Always wanted to do it that way,” she commented as she eyed the stake.

She turned and noticed Faith still confronting her catch of the night, so Kennedy dashed over to rejoin her.

Faith faced off with her vampire, pulling out her stake as they circled each other.

“If you kill me, she will rise,” the vampire told her cryptically.

Faith chuckled. “Well then, I’ll kill whoever she is, too,” she answered.

Without any warning, she jumped and shoved the stake into the vampire’s chest. He disintegrated into dust.

“Nice one,” Kennedy complimented from behind her.

“Yeah, I guess,” Faith said, turning around. “But they aren’t much fun when they don’t put up much of a fight. You get yours?”

Kennedy motioned back to the direction she came from.

“Yeah. He tried running. Got a stake in the back.”

“Good,” Faith smiled.

“Guess we can head back to the Council now?” Kennedy offered.

“Why? So you can get busy with your honey?” Faith retorted with a smirk.

The duo began to walk back to the Council HQ.

“Yeah, well busy hasn’t been really busy lately,” Kennedy said, clearly frustrated. Faith quirked an eyebrow and Kennedy continued. “Willow’s been sensing what she calls ‘an emotional spiritual presence’ the past week or so. She said she was going to try some ritual tonight to contact it. Apparently tonight is some Wiccan holiday, I think she called it Sowben—Sohen—Samheen—Something like that, and it’s the night when, quote, ‘the mystical barriers between this world and the next are the thinnest.’ So she thinks she’ll have the best luck tonight.”

“Does she know who’s ringing her psychic network line?” Faith asked.

Kennedy paused and licked her lips nervously before answering. “She thinks it’s Tara.”

Faith let out a laugh. Kennedy didn’t hide her offended look.

“Y’know, Brat, it’s wicked sad when you’re jealous of a dead person,” Faith replied, giving her a reassuring pat on the back.

Kennedy just looked at her as they continued to walk.

As the two Slayers conversed, they never noticed the crack forming behind them where Faith had slain her vampire. A large demonic hand reached up and grabbed the side of the crack.

Fade To:

Int.

Willow’s Coven Room –  Later that night

Willow sat within the invisible circle she’d just drawn with her athame. She stared directly into the small fire she’d built in her cauldron, a powerful air circulation system clearing the smoke from the room. She picked up a bag of herbs and took a deep breath. Pouring some into her hand, she began to speak.

“Spirit from the Summerland, come forth. Reveal yourself to me.”

She tossed the herbs from her hand into the fire. It leapt up, almost catching the ceiling. Across the circle, a glowing light appeared. It appeared to be trying to take human form but was having difficulty. She poured more of the herb into her hand.

“Hades, lord of the hereafter, I beseech thee, allow this spirit to come forth. Allow it to deliver its message to me.”

She tossed the herbs in. Again the fire leapt up, but not quite as high. She looked back up at the light. It began to appear more human. Details followed.

A nose.

 

A mouth.

Eyes.

Blonde hair.

The spirit materialized in front of her and Willow was finally able to see who it was. Her face scrunched up in shock and disappointment. 

It definitely was not Tara.

“You?” Willow asked, frustrated.

“Missed you too, Willow,” Anya sighed, not hiding her annoyance

Black Out

 

End of Teaser