Act 1
Guest Starring:
Robin Sachs as Ethan Rayne, Elizabeth Anne Allen as Amy Madison, Elijah Wood as Jeffrey, Kenneth Branagh as Sir Cyril Rodham and Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers
Fade In:
Ext.
Outside Watchers Council – Day
Present Day
“I can’t believe it – this is so cool!” Dawn Summers smiled broadly as she and Giles pulled up in front of the new Watchers Council Headquarters.
“Oh?” Giles replied as he eased the car into his parking space. “I rather think Cleveland would be somewhat anti-climactic after Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, Glory, Buffy’s resurrection, Willow’s wrath upon the world, and that little spat with The First.”
“Don’t forget Andrew’s cooking,” Dawn chimed in.
” – but then, silly me, I’m sure,” Giles finished dourly.
Dawn grinned at him. “Giles! It’s exciting – new slayers, new watchers, new Watchers Council…”
She looked at him. He was nodding complacently.
“New wheels…” she added slyly.
“Ah. Yes,” Giles brightened. “It was a rather good choice, I think. Would you like me to take you around the grounds in it?”
“Sure, but later. I really want to see Willow.”
“Of course. I know she’s very anxious to see you as well.”
Giles got out of the car and opened the trunk. Dawn approached him as he pulled her suitcases out.
“Giles…”
“Yes, Dawn…”
“I–” she stared at him, her mouth still open. He waited expectantly, but all she did was smile back uncertainly. “I think I’m gonna have a great time…” she nodded awkwardly, “…here…” her head continued to bob, “…with you guys.”
Giles looked at her quizzically. She shrugged and picked up one of the suitcases.
“Allow me,” he told her, taking the suitcase from her. Together, they headed for the entrance of the building.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Willow’s Classroom – Moments Later
Five students gaped as a huge flame flared on Willow Rosenberg’s spell book. She hurriedly dropped another heavy book on it, smothering the flame.
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to say ‘fuego out-o’ or something?” one of the students quipped.
“It’s always easier to use magic – especially to fight magic,” Willow told the girl, “but not necessarily better.”
“Whatever gets the job done,” Kennedy spoke up as she entered.
Willow looked at her, and then smiled. “That’s exactly what I used to think, too,” she replied. “But we’ll talk more about that tomorrow.”
Willow looked at the young man of sixteen whose spell casting had been responsible for the small fire. He carried a shock of dark hair and a dark mood to match.
“Sorry,” he shrugged, embarrassed.
“That’s okay, Jeffrey,” Willow sighed over the smoking books on her desk. “But for future reference, that was probably a bit more energy than was needed for the ‘lighting of a candle without matches.’ If the test was ‘lighting of a book’ however, you’d get an A+,” she added.
“Way to go H.P,” one of the other students teased, making note of his resemblance to one fictitious Harry Potter. The two other girls in the class snickered as Willow raised the top book and looked under it. Both books were slightly scorched, but not destroyed.
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Willow told him. “Now, we’re breaking earlier today because –”
“You’re scared Jeff will burn the place down?” Rick, the only other male member of the group, asked.
Willow tried not to smile. “No, I have family coming in from out of town,” she told them. “And you all have your assignment for tomorrow, so I’ll see you then.”
Collectively the class departed and Willow held the smoldering book. “Thank the Goddess the sprinkler didn’t go off again,” she said as Vi and Kennedy passed her desk, amused.
A controlled commotion erupted in the corridor, followed by a cacophony of excited greetings. “Someone here to see you.” Willow looked up at the sound of Giles’s voice to see him come into the room with Dawn.
“Dawnie!”
Willow walked up to her and stopped, taking in that Dawn had gone from gangly teen to beautiful young woman.
The two hugged, faces beaming with smiles. Giles watched them, a smile on his own face. He nodded for Vi and Kennedy to follow him, giving Willow and Dawn the chance to catch up with one another.
“Dawnie, Dawnie, you look great! I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Yeah, me too!” Dawn hugged her again.
“Gods, I missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” Dawn said, her eyes closed and her chin hooked over Willow’s shoulder.
Willow broke their hug and held Dawn at arms’ length. “You’ve gotten taller I think. I just wish Buffy would have come too. I know how the Summers girls gotta thing for Thanksgiving,” she teased.
Dawn looked reluctant to agree.
“Uh oh,” Willow sighed. “What happened now?”
Dawn hesitated and looked away. “Nothing,” Dawn answered after a momentary pause. “But – all this quality time is getting a little hard to – handle.”
“How so?” Willow coaxed. “I mean I thought you two were looking forward to the ‘not kill-the-vamps-fight-the-demons-save-the-world-then-clean-up-your-room time’ together…”
“Being the sister of THE Slayer was hard,” Dawn frowned. “But being the sister of the RETIRED slayer is – well, harder.”
“But you’re getting a chance to bond, right?” Willow asked, hopefully.
Dawn sighed. “Sure. The bondage is great,” she said innocently.
Willow blinked and stifled a laugh.
Realizing how it came out, Dawn smiled. “Oh geez, get your mind out of the gutter,” she said, slapping Willow’s arm. “Nah, point is I kinda need a break from the ‘where are you going, who are you going with, what are you gonna do, when are you done doing it, and you’re not gonna wear that to do it in, are you?’ thing.”
Willow began to say something, then stopped. “Well…” she picked up, “this is your Thanksgiving break. So, you should just kick back and relax, little sis, as Faith would say.”
“Faith. For a moment I forgot she’s here.”
“Actually, she isn’t,” Willow said. “She and Robin are on the road. We had two new slayer sightings, so they’ve gone to recruit them. And we’ve got a new watcher who’s not here right now, either. Her name’s Rowena Allister. She’s in Nova Scotia for the holidays – y’know, spending some time with her family. I kinda felt envious, but then we got the call from Buffy asking if you could spend Thanksgiving here and, well…here you are…I think you’re gonna like this place.”
“I can’t wait,” Dawn said.
“Okay, then let’s start with your room.”
Willow took her books up in one arm and slid the other about Dawn’s waist. Dawn responded in kind and together they left the classroom, shutting the door behind them.
A few seconds later, the fire sprinkler system tripped, raining water down on the desks and floor.
Fade In:
Int.
Ornate Office – London – Day
“Yes, yes, it was a fine job. Well done, by all accounts! To your health and the health of the Organization!”
Sir Cyril Rodham raised his glass to his guest and then knocked the drink back in one swift gulp. Casually, he poured himself another.
Across the darkened room, Ethan Rayne merely sipped his scotch. His eyes left Rodham’s only for an instant to look at a pair of shapely legs jutting out from a corner of the room. Their owner was hidden from view where she sat in shadows.
“Now, let me tell you about your next assignment for the Organization,” Rodham said quickly. “I think you’ll enjoy it immensely. Well, perhaps not as much as you did the Austrian job, but as much as you did Beijing, I’m certain. And I have a most pleasant surprise for you as well,” Rodham said cheerfully. “You will have an assistant on this assignment. Someone very resourceful, and quite engaging –”
“I work alone.” Ethan’s tone was so flat and final that Rodham’s grin completely disappeared.
“I assure you,” Rodham told him. “You are being paired with a young woman of considerable talent and –”
“I don’t care if you pair me with David Copperfield in a hot-pink muumuu. I work alone.”
“You don’t seem to understand,” Rodham smiled unpleasantly. “We are offering to pay you handsomely for this assignment.”
Rodham saw the sorcerer’s eyes squint with a flash of anger.
“I’m not a man to be bought,” Ethan countered, and then paused. “Actually, I am. But my methods have no room for ‘assistants.’ ”
“You will work with an assistant this time,” Rodham continued. “Or need I remind you that we saved your sorry life and that we could very easily end it as well, much like we did for the others in that American desert. Remember who got you out of the Initiative’s hands, Ethan, and who could put you back in them.”
Ethan held for a moment, contemplating his options. Then he relaxed and laughed suddenly and hard.
“Fine, I’ll do it. But I’ll not answer for her survival.”
Sir Cyril watched as Ethan put his drink down and cast a glance at the shadowed female in the corner. Then Ethan looked back at him steadily, without fear.
“You are quite the business man, Cyril. Tell me about this assignment and my…’helper’.”
“Come here, my dear,” Rodham said with a mirthless victory smile.
A lithe young woman with a pretty face and tawny hair stood up and emerged from the shadows. She reached Rodham’s side and he took her hand.
“Ethan Rayne, may I present Ms. Amy Madison.”
Cut To:
Int.
Boeing 747 – Heathrow Airport, London – Early Morning
“Welcome to Patriot Airlines Flight 923 going to Cleveland, Ohio with a connection in Washington, D.C. We’d like to bring your attention to our flight attendant who will familiarize you with our safety procedures…”
“Allow me.” Ethan said silkily.
He lifted Amy’s carry-on into the overhead compartment and strained slightly at the weight.
“What do you have in here, all seventeen re-writes of Anna Karenina and a chaise to read them on?”
Amy shot Ethan a phony smile and a light, hollow laugh.
“No,” she told him, “just some things for casting.” She reached forward and took out the in-flight magazine from the seat-back and began to flip through it.
Ethan smirked at her. Then he hoisted the bag the rest of the way into the overhead compartment. As he did so, the zipper came undone and an item popped out of the bag, landing between his feet.
He bent down and picked it up. It was a strange object – nickel-plated, circular and completely open; merely a metal frame in the shape of a wheel no more than eight inches in diameter.
“What is this?” he asked, genuinely. “Some new kind of casting device?”
“Give it to me!” Amy snapped.
“Or maybe something – naughty…?”
“Please,” she said more evenly.
“But what on earth is – oh!” Ethan’s expression morphed from puzzled to surprised to downright amused. “I know what this is,” he said, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. “But what do you do with it? Summon the God of Demonic Hamsters to your aid in case you’re attacked by lettuce?”
“Just give it to me!” Amy said between her teeth and grabbed at the wheel.
“Oh, please don’t tell me you’re traveling with a rodent!” Ethan said.
Amy just looked at him.
Suddenly Ethan laughed, realizing he’d set himself up. As he did, Amy snatched the wheel out of his hand. She dropped the wheel in her tote bag.
“It’s personal. Never ask me about it,” she warned him. Then, more quietly, “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Nor do I want to,” Ethan replied.
“Sir, you’ll need to remain in your seat,” a stewardess said from behind him.
He sat down, pulling his seatbelt on. “Ridiculous way to travel,” he muttered. “Could have been there already if we’d teleported…”
“Cyril wanted us to get acquainted,” Amy said. “He thought the flight would be a good opportunity.”
“My dear Miss Madigan –”
“Madison.”
” – we are already acquainted. We met in Cyril’s office, I’ve been apprised of your role in my work –”
“Our wor –”
“– and your neophyte potential. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m a bit tired and would like the ‘opportunity’ to sleep.”
“I do mind,” she said. “And so would Cyril. We should be talking about the job.”
“Why? Don’t you know what it is?”
“I – Of course I do.”
“Then we needn’t discuss it further.”
“We haven’t discussed it at all!”
“Exactly.”
“Look, Cyril wants –” she said.
“I am well aware of what Cyril wants, my dear. I am also well aware of how to go about it. Now I suggest that you just do as you’re told and we’ll be done with it – and each other – in no time.”
“May I ask a question?” Amy asked.
“If you must.”
“How long have you felt threatened by women?”
“My dear, I am not threatened by women; only by women who themselves perceive a threat in the company of men.”
“No worries there,” Amy shot back.
Ethan looked at her sideways. “I have nothing to prove,” he said, smugly. “Not as a man, nor as a mage.”
“Maybe Cyril doesn’t agree.”
Ethan turned his head and looked stonily at her. “Maybe. But then, I noticed he raised my salary to take you on. What does that suggest?”
“It suggests that maybe you’d better work with me, so that I don’t report anything bad about you when we get back. Even you wouldn’t want to disappoint Cyril and the Organization,” she said.
“Oh uncle, uncle. What do you want to know about the job?”
“Dragonspear Associates – they’re property managers, right?”
“Right.”
“They’re trying to open up an entertainment complex in Cleveland, right?” she asked.
“Yes. Public sentiment is against them, however. Too many malls, traffic concerns, closing of small businesses, displacement of families, property taxes and environmental issues – all are driving the City Council and Directors toward voting the proposed complex down, thereby depriving Dragonspear of a strong foothold in Cleveland.”
“So we’re supposed to influence the City Council –”
“My dear, we are not to influence them at all. We are to directly bend them to our will. When we arrive, you will assist me in casting a spell that will induce the City Council and Directors to push through any proposals made by Dragonspear Associates – and not just this complex, either. Dragonspear has many smaller interests in the Cleveland area. If the spell works – and it will – there may be more castings of this sort in other cities – New York, Los Angeles, Washington, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong – just to mention a few. But for now, it’s Cleveland.”
“How do you plan to cast a spell that wide?” she asked.
“That is for me to worry about. You just do as you’re told and neither one of us will have to report anything bad back to Cyril Rodham.”
Amy turned and faced forward in her seat. She sat glaring for a moment.
Ethan shut his eyes and relaxed.
“Mr. Rayne,” Amy began softly.
Ethan opened his eyes. “Oh, bugger, call me Ethan.”
“Ethan. Please call me Amy.”
Ethan rolled his eyes, but Amy kept emotion out of her face and voice.
“Ethan – thank you. I…appreciate the opportunity to work with someone of your calib –”
“My dear – Amy. Learn from your superiors. Emulate them. Discredit them if you must, take advantage of them if you can. But never – never – thank them. That’s a sign of weakness. And weakness will get you killed.”
Ethan turned in his seat until his back was to the witch. He shut his eyes and willed himself to sleep.
Amy let out an angry sigh. She tapped her foot and impatiently flipped through the in-flight magazine again.
Something seemed to occur to her then, and she reached down and pulled the silver wheel from her tote-bag. She poked both pointer fingers inside it, and began rolling her fingers one over the other away from herself, turning the wheel in place. She stared fixedly at the spokes rolling before her, faster and faster. Eventually, her breathing slowed and steadied and her shoulders relaxed.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Willow’s Classroom – Later that Day
Giles’s casual footwear was in Willow’s face as she held the ladder steady.
“Can you see anything?” she asked.
“I see a great many things,” his disembodied voice echoed from somewhere inside the ceiling. “Unfortunately, I haven’t a clue what any of it is.”
Willow looked up at the watcher’s waist and legs, the only parts of him not inside the ceiling.
“Well, there must be something up there that looks like a water pipe,” she offered. “This water didn’t come from nowhere,” she muttered as she lifted one foot up out of the puddle she was standing in. “Maybe we should call a plumber,” she suggested, sounding as if she’d already said it repeatedly.
“Nonsense. We’ve defeated demons, vampires, a god, and The First, ” Giles replied indignantly from inside the ceiling. “We can certainly fix a leak without calling in reinforcements.”
A sudden clunking sound followed by a painful “Ow!” made Willow glance up sharply. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes, quite fine. I think I’ve found the problem.”
“Gaia be praised,” Willow said, rolling her eyes.
After a few moments she heard Giles yell down to her. “There. I think I’ve fixed it. Yes. Yes, that should do it, I’m sure.”
Willow stepped back as Giles descended a few steps down the ladder. He replaced the large ceiling tile and stepped down the rest of the way. He sighed, satisfied, and wiped his hands on a dirty cloth.
Willow tried to hide a smile, but a giggle still escaped her as she looked at him.
“Yes, well,” he frowned at her, “I often seem to elicit that response after a manly act of –”
“It’s not that,” she said. “Your hair’s all kinda sticking up all over. And your face is sorta – well, smudgy. I mean, all those years fighting hand-to-hand with demons and vampires and you never pulled a single tweedy thread. You spend five minutes in a ceiling fixing a pipe and you look like you’ve been to a hell dimension and back. Twice.”
Giles fought down a smile as he removed his glasses and began to wipe them with the cloth.
“See here,” he told her, “nothing wrong with a bit of manual labor now and then. Good to get the hands a bit dirty.”
He put his glasses back on. The lenses were coated with black grease. “Bloody hell!”
“C’mon, Mr. Honest Day’s Labor,” she said, “I have a nice remedy for those smudges. A little soap. A little water…,” she smiled. “…and maybe some scotch.”
Giles mouthed an “ah” and followed Willow out of the classroom, closing the door behind him. A few seconds later, the door opened again and Giles stuck his head back in. He looked up at the sprinkler. Satisfied that all was well, he closed the door again.
A moment later, the sprinkler tripped and water rained down in the classroom once more.
Fade In:
Ext.
City Park – Later that Afternoon
Dawn breathed the cold, crisp air in deeply as she and Giles walked leisurely along.
Giles watched her out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to sense something was amiss with the young woman.
Sensing Giles’s attention on her, Dawn spoke up.
“Thanks for coming for a walk with me, Giles. I know you’re busy fixing the headquarters.”
Giles nodded, “I’m not sure if fixing is the proper word.”
Dawn seemed not to hear him. “And thanks for letting me visit you guys during the holiday.”
“You know you’re always welcome, although I wouldn’t imagine Cleveland as a choice holiday destination, with the Hellmouth and all.”
“Hey,” Dawn replied, smiling up at him, “I grew up on a Hellmouth…part of my heritage, remember? Besides, you and Willow are here.” Her smile faded. “I missed you guys and…”
Dawn broke off, bowing her head and slowing a little.
Giles looked at her fully. He regarded her for a few steps. She finally looked up into his green eyes.
“Dawn? What is it? Problems with Buffy? Is she all right?”
“Buffy? Yeah, she’s fine.” Dawn grimaced and put her hands in her coat pockets. “My understanding sister who understands everyone except me.”
Giles slowed for a moment, then picked up the pace of their walk again. “Are you two quarreling?” he asked, with a sympathetic smile. “More than usual, I should add?”
“Not exactly.” Dawn sighed heavily. “She refuses to speak to me about…my…love interest.”
“Love interest? Not another vampire, I hope?”
“No, Skye.” Dawn hesitated. “My –” she looked for the right word; there was only one. “–girlfriend.”
It took a few steps for Dawn to realize that Giles was no longer beside her. She turned back to see him standing and furiously cleaning his glasses. His face no longer had the rosy tinge of being outdoors but the bright red flush of embarrassment.
He glanced up at her, once, then twice and saw the open and hopeful look on her face. “Oh,” he said finally. “Yes. Well. I see.”
“Giles? Giles, are you freaked?”
“What? No. Absolutely not.” And to prove it, he put his glasses back on. “I’m just rather surprised, is all.”
“Surprised that I have a girlfriend?”
“Of course not!” He cursed himself for answering too quickly. “Okay, perhaps a bit,” he conceded. His comment hung on the air. “I just assumed you were interested in boys. And that was wrong of me. However, I am concerned that Buffy won’t talk with you about…Skye. was it?”
Dawn nodded.
“Is it Skye personally that Buffy has a problem with or that she’s…well, a young woman? I mean she is a young woman, right? Your age?”
Dawn smiled as she heard the concern in Giles’s voice. “She’s a senior at my new high school and yeah, it’s that Skye’s a she and not a he.” Dawn turned and looked toward the grove of trees beside them. “Everything is different for me now. I don’t understand it, Giles. She’s perfectly accepting of Willow, so why won’t she talk to me?”
“H-Have you spoken with Willow? Perhaps she might –”
Dawn shook her head. “Not yet. If I had the choice I’d talk to Tara but – wishful thinking gets me nowhere. You know?” She looked at him. “Anyway, Willow will just be Willow. All with the accepting. Besides, this is more about Buffy. I mean, I’m comfortable with it. She’s not.”
“Well, I still think Willow can help. Her own ‘coming out’ experience with Buffy was less than perfect.” He saw Dawn about to protest. “Yes, Buffy was accepting later on, but she was a bit taken aback at the beginning…she needed time. How long has it been since you told her?”
“Kinda didn’t tell her. She came home early one afternoon last week and…” It was Dawn’s turn to blush.
Giles took his glasses off again and cleaned the lenses to near invisibility.
“Yes, I see,” he sighed. “Rather a shock to her then, don’t you think? And in Buffy’s defense, well, you’re still rather young to be intimate with someone, Dawn, and –”
“Giles, I’m the same age Buffy was when she lost her virginity to Angel,” Dawn pointed out. “And before you go warning me about the dangers of how THAT turned out, this is different.”
“Supernatural aside, there are still dangers, Dawn; human consequences.”
Dawn nodded in agreement. “I get that. But she’s my first. I’m hers. We’re not drug addicts or anything like that. And bonus, no chance of unexpected pregnancies.”
Giles gave a grin to her smirk before turning serious. “I’m just concerned. Perhaps Skye isn’t being totally honest.” He paused and held up a finger to stop her from disputing his comment. “She might have a drug-related past you don’t know of o-or other sexual partners you’re not aware of. Chances are she’s been upfront with you, but I would hate t-to be wrong and stay silent…Just be careful is all I’m saying.”
Dawn gave him a warm grin and reached out to rub his arm. “Thank you for the concern, really,” she told him, before stuffing her hands back into her jacket. “But I trust her. She’s human and I’m human. And Buffy is just…Buffy.”
“She probably just needs more time,” Giles told her. “Would you like me to speak with her?”
“Yes. I don’t know. Maybe…I think she’ll listen to you, Giles. And even though she might not admit it, she respects your worldly experience.”
“Yes, well, I’m not sure if my ‘worldly’ experience is something I need to get into with Buffy per se…”
“I don’t mean sexually, Giles.”
“Oh…” Giles pressed his lips together and shrugged his head to one side.
“Look, I can’t say that I’m gay,” Dawn continued. “But I’m not gonna limit myself either. Willow never did and after Buffy died – don’t get me wrong, you all were there – but she and Tara made a home for me. And as far as Skye is concerned, I really like her. It might be love but…” Dawn paused and looked up at him. She smiled hopefully. “Maybe if you talked to Buffy it would help. I don’t expect you to fix it, Giles, but you might be able to open her up enough so I can at least talk to her about it.”
Giles returned her smile with a soft one of his own. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Giles.” She took a step and stopped. “And for the record, I didn’t come out here to vent. I really wanted to visit.”
Giles grinned broadly. “I will speak with her.”
Dawn smiled as he walked on ahead, then moved to catch up to him. As she did, he put his arm around her and the two of them walked on, their breaths coming out in steamy puffs before them.
Cut To:
Int.
The Hyatt Regency Hotel – Late Afternoon
“And that was a room for two, Sir?”
“Room for – most certainly not! The young…woman…should be registered under her own name.”
The hotel clerk glanced at the pair – the older man and the young, pretty woman. “Yes, Sir,” he said. He looked at his computer screen for a moment and found the man’s name: Raymond, Edward. He asked the woman her name.
She started to give her real name – Amy – and changed it very quickly in midstream “Adele…” she blinked, panicking, then suddenly remembered, “Maddington.”
Ethan frowned at her disgustedly.
“You are in adjoining suites, with a common door between – rooms 412 and 414. Your rooms are ready. I’ll ring for the bellhop.”
They went to their separate rooms without another word to one another and began to unpack. Ethan pulled his clothes crisply out of his one large suitcase, hanging them with care and smoothing them sharply with the flat of his hand.
Amy merely stuffed her things quickly into dresser drawers, ignoring one of her blouse sleeves hanging out of one. She went into the bathroom and ran the shower, then turned on the television to a music channel. Casting nervous glances this way and that, she left the room and skittered down the hallway, keeping to the far wall, on her way to the elevators.
Cut To:
Int.
Arcade Shopping Center – Day
Amy emerged from the Hyatt Regency and entered the Arcade Shopping Center. There was a mass of people doing their pre-Thanksgiving Day shopping. She blended in with the throng and found a pay phone not far from the entrance to the Regency.
“Hello, overseas operator.”
“Yes, operator, I’d like to place a call to London. Collect, to this number…”
Cut To:
Int.
The Hyatt Regency Hotel – Same Time
Ethan banged on the door between his and Amy’s room. “I said, will you please turn that damn radio down!” He listened more carefully. The shower was running. He sighed heavily, removed his clothes and began to draw his own bath.
Cut To:
Int.
Arcade Shopping Center – Same Time
“Yes, Bonnie, I’m at a payphone. Yes, we used the false names. Now, what do you want me to do? Awakening spell…yes…Hellmouth is where?” Amy took out a pad and pencil from her bag and began to scribble notes on it. “I won’t tell him a thing. He’ll never know. Well…a girl’s going to want to go shopping in a big city, right? He won’t want to come along with me for that. That’s when I’ll do it. Alright. Goodbye.”
Amy’s eyes darted every which way before she hung up the phone. She returned to her room at the Regency almost as fast as she had left.
Cut To:
Int.
The Hyatt Regency Hotel – Minutes Later
When Ethan emerged from his bath, there was a message on his phone. He picked up the receiver and dialed into the voice mail service. Amy’s voice sounded from the recording.
“Hello, Eth – I mean…Edward. This is ‘Adele’.”
“No kidding,” Ethan replied to the recording.
“I thought that we might have dinner together since it’s our first night here before we begin work. We could go over some of our plans for tomorrow. Please call me as soon as you hear this.”
“Bugger!” Ethan muttered and banged on the common door again.
Amy opened it, and looked at him, startled.
“Oh, sorry,” he smirked as he pulled up the only piece of cloth he had on – a small bath towel slung very low about his hips – “but you said to speak to you as soon as I got your message. I’d be delighted to dine with you – as soon as I put some clothes on.”
He noticed Amy’s roving eyes.
He smiled thinly, “Or we could order in and you take some off…”
Her eyes shot up and she saw the mocking look on his face. She gave him a searing look and shut the door.
Ethan laughed.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Willow’s Living Room – That Evening
“So, where’s little sis?” Willow’s book asked.
“Hmmm?” Willow lifted it and looked down into Kennedy’s eyes. The young slayer had been lying with her head in Willow’s lap as Willow read.
“Little sis?”
Kennedy swung her legs off the couch and sat up. “You know – Summers the Second.”
“Oh – Dawn.” Willow grinned. “She went to bed early. All the excitement, the plane trip, being shown around the School – it all took its toll on her, I guess.”
“So…I have you to myself, then.”
“You always do.”
“Then let’s do something. I’m bored.”
“Oh. Okay. Do you want hear about this book? It’s really fascinating.”
The look of complete disinterest on Kennedy’s face said it all.
“Okay. Bad. Bad book.” Willow hit the cover and put the book on the coffee table. “Well, what about a game of chess? I’m not as good as Giles, but I can play a pretty mean –”
“I don’t know how to play chess.”
“Well – I-I could teach you…It’d be fun. And it’d be nice not to get beaten all the time. Giles always wins.”
“I wasn’t interested in learning chess when my dad tried to teach me in sixth grade. And surprise! – nothing’s changed. What about checkers?”
Willow frowned and furrowed her brow, thinking. “What about something to eat? I don’t know about you but Andrew’s cooking isn’t always what he cracks it up to be. I saw a new sushi place downtown a couple of days ago that looks –”
“Dead, uncooked, fish-flesh? Do I look like a seagull? How about Italian? I like Italian.”
“Well…pasta doesn’t exactly make my tummy go all yummy-wummy, but…pizza’s good! A nice pepperoni pizza and some wine right here in front of the fireplace…I have a video we could watch, too, all about the Spanish Inquisition, that I haven’t seen yet.”
Kennedy gave a quick laugh. “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.”
“Huh?”
“Monty Python? The comfy chair and a fanatical devotion to the Pope? You know?…Okay, you don’t know. Well, we could watch that instead.”
“Um, yeah, but I’m, well, I’m not really into British humor.”
“Gimme a break. You like Giles and you got to admit, he’s pretty funny sometimes.”
Willow shrugged. “Well, he’s not so British these days. He’s kinda been Americanized.”
Kennedy looked impatiently back at Willow. Then she began tapping her fingers on her thighs.
“It’s okay, Sweetie,” Willow said, “We can watch Monty Python if you want.”
Kennedy tapped her fingers a few more times, then stopped. “I have an idea,” she said smiling sideways at Willow. “Let’s go into the bedroom, get naked and pop in Gone with the Wind. That, a bowl of popcorn…oh, yeah – and you! Two Scarlets would suit me just fine. You in?”
Willow paused a moment and gave her a lecherous grin. “Race ya,” she said, quickly darting toward the bedroom with Kennedy in hot pursuit.
Fade to Black
End of Act One