Act 1

 

Guest Starring:

Lindsay Felton as Skye, Elijah Wood as Jeffrey Lindquist, Carly Schroeder as Marsha, Stephanie March as Bonnie, Thora Birch as Tracey, Felicia Day as Vi, Indigo as Rona and Norika Fujiwara as Mia

 

Special Guest Starring:

Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers.

Fade In:
Int.
Watchers Council – Library – Morning

“Now how did I know I’d find you in here?” Buffy quipped as she walked inside to see Rowena and Willow sitting side by side at a table, surrounded by piles of books.

“Hey!” Willow said, waving her over.

“Did your friend Al make it off okay?” Buffy asked.

“Yep, she called from the airport and there are no delays,” the witch answered. “How’d you sleep last night? Want some coffee? Or maybe you’re up to some research?” Buffy quirked an eyebrow in the Wiccan’s direction as she rambled. “Okay, that last one was a dumb question. But have a seat. I’m sure I’ve got some books that have lots of pictures of ugly, evil things and require little actual reading.”

Buffy moved further into the room and Rowena stood up. “Here,” the watcher told her, “take my chair.”

“You’re leaving?” Willow asked, disappointed. “Don’t go. Stay and chat. Buffy doesn’t bite.”

“Really,” Buffy answered. “I didn’t mean to run you off.”

Rowena smiled graciously. “Honestly, it’s not you Buffy. I promised myself I’d walk every day. Late night pizza and early morning donuts are taking their toll.”

“I think you look great,” Willow countered with a sexy smirk. “Besides, some folks like girls with a little meat on their bones.”

“Well my meat is starting to feel fatty thanks to all the hours of sitting and junk food. What I wouldn’t give for a little slayer metabolism,” she said, looking at Buffy. “I’ll be back in an hour and you won’t even miss me,” she added to Willow while running her hand over the redhead’s shoulders. Quietly, she left the room.

Willow continued to stare at the door after Rowena had left. Buffy looked back to the door to see if the watcher had re-entered and then looked back at the Wiccan, before looking back at the door again. As she turned to face Willow yet again, a grin was firmly planted on her face.

“You got it bad, girl,” Buffy giggled.

Shaken out of her admiration, Willow turned to Buffy.

“Got it bad?” Willow said with a challenge in her voice. “I’ve got nothing. I’m gotless here. Trust me,” Willow argued, while trying to make herself look busy. Before she could babble any further, Buffy stopped her.

“Maybe that’s the problem.”

“Meaning?”

“You don’t have what you want,” Buffy answered with a grin.

Willow put down the papers she was holding. “I’m happy with my life here, Buff. I am, but…it’s getting more difficult lately. She says or does things that make me think that she’s interested, but then it’s like she pulls away and I don’t know if what I saw was real or just wishful thinking.”

“Will? Even with a machete, you couldn’t cut the sexual tension.”

Willow rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. “Maybe, but she’s not gay.”

“Hello? It’s not about who you loved but who you love – in the here and now. Need I remind you that you dated a male guitarist slash werewolf for two years.”

“That was different,” Willow told her. “I didn’t know who I was back then. Not really. A-and it wasn’t until Tara came along that I thought about the other side of…things.”

“Why is Rowena any different?” Buffy posed.

“Well for starters she’s twenty-six. She knows who she is by now.”

“Age is irrelevant,” Buffy told her. “Like you, maybe she just needed to meet the right girl. And if you ask me I think she has, but said girl is being too chicken. Hint, hint.”

“Oh, nooo. I-I don’t think I can make a jump like that. I mean, what if I’m wrong? I told you about the near-kiss thing. What if she doesn’t really think about me that way? I tried to bring it up, but she went all avoidy on me. I mean, I could mess up the entire group dynamic and make her uncomfortable. A-and then that would be really, really…bad.”

“How so?” Buffy prodded. “If you make a move and she accepts it, you’ll be happy. And if you make a move and she declines, then you can both move forward in your friendship. But if you ask me it’s a moot point, Will. You’re not the only one that’s got it bad.” Buffy grinned as Willow looked back at the door. “Besides,” Buffy added, “you look kinda drained. I’m willing to bet this femme’s got you up late at night, so do yourself a favor and go for it.”

“Actually, I’ve been sleeping more lately,” Willow confessed.

“Hmm, that could be depression. Sleeping too much. But trust me, it’s officially 9:02 in the morning and you look like you’ve been up for over twenty-four hours.”

“Great, I’m a ghoul.”

“That is so not what I meant. I think you just look a little lovesick, literally.”

Willow considered Buffy’s words. “Well, we’ve got too much to worry about right now.” Buffy’s response was to fold her arms across her chest. “Okay, not the best excuse,” the witch admitted. “But it’s still true. Once this is all over and there’s still a world left…maybe then…but no promises.”

“Fair enough,” Buffy said, giving a short nod. “Y’know, if it helps, I could slip her a note in study hall,” she said conspiratorially.

Willow grinned. “If worse comes to worst, I just might take ya up on that.”

Fade In:
Ext.
Bike Trail along Lake Erie Shoreline – Morning

Rowena was walking along a small paved path listening to her headphones when a figure caught her attention. She did a double take at the shrubs along the side of the trail to see what appeared to be a naked, liver-spotted, hunchbacked man darting behind the bushes.

She continued to watch to see whether the man would come out or move toward a small cavern just beyond the shrubs. When she detected no movement, she pulled the headphones off her ears and stopped her CD player before walking over to investigate.

She crept up slowly and looked closely through the thick bushes. Feeling secure that no one was there, she pushed back the foliage. She looked down and saw three sets of legs – two adults and one child, completely skinned. Startled, she released the bush and took a few steps back, grabbing her two-way radio.

“Watcher One to Council. Copy?”

“Go ahead, Watcher One,” Faith answered.

“You better get a team down here to the lake.”

“Whaddya got?” the slayer asked.

Rowena peered back through the bushes again and grimaced. “Trouble.”

Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Kitchen – Moments Later

Skye and Dawn walked into the kitchen, deep in discussion. They left off mid-sentence when they saw Andrew, Xander and Jeff sitting at the breakfast table, all of them trying to catch airborne cereal in their mouths.

Jeff tossed his arms in the air triumphantly as he started to chew. He looked over and immediately felt embarrassed by Dawn’s “caught you” smile and swallowed hard.

“Hey,” he said, coming to his feet and walking over. “Andy told me that you and your sister made it into town.” Jeff ran a nervous hand through his hair. “You look good. How’ve you been?”

“I can’t complain,” she told him politely.

“This must be Buffy then,” Jeff said, motioning to Skye.

Both women chuckled. “No,” Dawn answered with a smirk, “This is my girlfriend, Skye. Skye, this is Jeff, the guy from the Coven I told you about.”

“Not sure that this is a place you wanna bring your friends at the moment,” Jeff told her.

Dawn looked like she was going to say something, but Skye beat her to it.

“Probably not,” she said as she slipped her arm around Dawn’s waist territorially. “But I’m a little more than just a friend.”

Jeff saw the gesture and reflexively took a step back. “You mean she’s your girlfriend…girlfriend,” Jeff stuttered.

Dawn blushed and again Skye answered. “Yeah, she’s my girlfriend.”

“Well,” Jeff said as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Skye smirked.

“We came for juice,” Dawn said. She pointed to the refrigerator and quickly walked over and pulled the door open.

Jeff nodded to Skye and made his way back to the table as Xander and Andrew both held back chuckles. He watched as Dawn and Skye began to talk quietly to each other.

“Damn,” Jeff whispered softly.

Xander leaned over to Jeff and patted him on the back. “Gay or taken or both. I feel your pain buddy.”

Cut To:
Ext.
Bike Trail along Lake Erie Shoreline – Minutes Later

Faith and a team of about ten slayers, including Kennedy and Mia, approached Rowena.

“That was quick,” the watcher commented.

“Slick brought the van,” Faith answered, pointing to Kennedy.

“This way,” Rowena said as she motioned them over.

“You girls fan out,” Faith told the group. “Check for any tracks or location clues, got it?”

The girls broke apart and headed off in different directions as Faith, Mia and Kennedy followed Rowena.

Rowena pulled the bushes back. “Looks like a Gnarl demon, or maybe a pack of them with this high of a body count.”

“Picnic Interruptus, huh?” Faith said, surveying the scene. A basket and what looked like half-eaten sandwiches sat next to a blanket, upon which the family lay skinless. “Damn that’s sad,” Faith shook her head. “They probably all knew they were gonna die and couldn’t do a damn thing.”

“You know about Gnarls?” Rowena asked.

“Hey, it’s not just you watcher types that know the book stuff,” Faith replied, indignant.

Rowena raised her eyebrows in doubt.

“Willow told us,” Kennedy confessed, rolling her eyes at Faith.

“Thanks a lot, Slick. I had her goin’ there for a minute,” Faith replied. “But yeah, she had a run in with one, but Red didn’t end up like that.”

“No, of course not. Buffy saved the day,” Kennedy added as she goaded Faith a bit more.

Faith smiled and gave a nod. “Someone’s looking for extra laps this week.”

Kennedy and Mia both laughed, but abruptly stopped when they all heard a scream and what seemed like a chorus of roars all at once. They all ran out from the brush to see nearly a hundred demons engaging the slayers. Some came from the rock embankment. Others jumped down from the trees above.

After spotting Faith, at least half the demons began to rush toward her group.

“Get clear,” Faith told Rowena, and she physically pushed the watcher back toward the bushes. Rowena lost her footing and fell to the ground. All three slayers stood defensively, waiting for the impact of the rushing demons.

Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Giles’s Apartment – Moments Later

“You mentioned you have a sister in Baltimore, didn’t you?”

Giles poured Becca another cup of tea as he waited for her answer.

“Yeah, why?” she nodded. “Do you have a brother you’re looking to hook up for a double date?”

Giles smiled. “Well, no, my brother is married and in England with three children…I was just thinking. Perhaps you should go visit her for a few days, or, possibly weeks? In fact, a month might not be out of the question.”

“You don’t want me here?”

Giles sat down the teapot that he was holding. “I’m not sure what’s coming,” he confessed. “And I’d rather you weren’t here when it arrives.”

“Planning on evacuating the city?” she teased.

Giles sat down and played with the rim of his cup. “No, just you.”

“So I’m special then?”

“Very much so,” he said honestly.

Becca smiled and took his hand in hers. “I could lie and say okay. But if something is coming, if this is the end of the world, I want your face to be the last one I see.”

Giles mustered a smile and then gave a heavy sigh. “At least consider it, please,” he practically begged. The look on Becca’s face told Giles it was pointless. “Fine. Lie to me then.”

“Okay,” Becca nodded with a grin. “I will consider it. I will consider going to my sister’s to leave you here all alone. And I will send you a postcard from Maryland each week. How’s that?”

“I’m not the only terrible liar,” he quipped.

“Yeah. I find the truth much easier, no matter how harsh. So get ready for the harsh, Rupert. I’m not leaving you.”

“Okay then. That’s it. It’s over. I’m breaking up with you,” he said firmly.

“No you’re not. And I’m not leaving.” Becca simply smiled and motioned over at him. “Drink your tea before it gets cold.”

Defeated, Giles picked up his cup. “Bloody hell.”

Cut To:
Ext.
Bike Trail along Lake Erie Shoreline – Moments Later

Thirty demons rushed Faith, knocking her to the ground. The other remaining demons engaged Kennedy and Mia from all sides. Mia grabbed the armor of a Snakel demon in front of her and tossed him over her shoulder, sending him flying through the air as she engaged the next demon that rushed to take his place.

Rowena looked up but didn’t have time to move as the Snakel came hurtling toward her. With a thud, the two collided, his bulk landing squarely against her chest, knocking her backward. She hit the ground with such force her head bounced twice against the ground. The demon rolled off of her and looked to see her unmoving, eyes closed. Satisfied, he jumped back up to help the demons who were now holding Faith. The Snakel raced over and began to punch Faith in the jaw repeatedly. Meanwhile, a black van came to an abrupt stop on the main road.

Hearing the tires squeal to a halt, Kennedy looked behind herself to see the demons now carrying an unconscious Faith toward the vehicle.

“To the van!” Kennedy shouted to the other slayers.

Spotting the van, slayers and demons alike ran toward it. As the Slayers struggled to get to their commander, the demons put up a defense so they could load her into the back of the van.

Kennedy paused for just a moment and looked from where Faith was being loaded to the person driving the van. It was Bonnie. With angry determination, Kennedy ran in the opposite direction of the rest of the slayer troops.

Spotting Kennedy dashing toward her, Bonnie’s eyes widened and she cast a glance to the demon that sat beside her. She quickly reached out and locked the door, just as Kennedy arrived and gave it a pull. Bonnie smirked at the Slayer. The van rocked demons poured into the back. Escape was only moments away.

The smile only angered Kennedy more and she reared back her arm and slammed her fist into the side window. Glass shattered everywhere. She hastily reached into the van with one hand and began to pull Bonnie out by the throat. The agent sputtered and choked as Kennedy pulled her free of the vehicle.

Seeing the back door close, the demon in the passenger seat slid over to the driver’s side. slammed the car into drive and stepped on the gas. The demons left behind began to race in several directions to avoid the slayers.

“No!” Kennedy shouted. A few of the slayers began to give chase. She pushed Bonnie to the ground and pulled the keys from her pocket. She tossed them to Lori and pointed to another slayer. “You two, follow them. Just observe. Don’t engage,” she pointed at the fleeing van. “I’ve got someone to deal with here.” As Lori and her partner took off, Kennedy turned menacingly to Bonnie as the agent tried to crawl backward on her hands and knees. “Where do you think you’re going?” Kennedy asked, pulling her up by her hair.

“I’m a human,” Bonnie pled.

“That’s debatable.” Kennedy pushed her away slightly and toward two slayers, who each grabbed one of Bonnie’s arms.

“Kennedy,” Mia called out, making her turn. “We need help.”

Kennedy noticed that some of the slayers appeared injured, unconscious or perhaps dead. She looked back at Bonnie. “Don’t you go anywhere, okay?” she told her sarcastically before she jogged over to Mia, who was kneeling over an unmoving Rowena.

“Better call the Council,” Mia told Kennedy, looking up at her. “I think we’ve got a dead watcher.”

Black Out

 

End of Act One