act 3


 

 

 

Fade In:

Int.

Watchers Council – Workshop – Day

“You have to,” Faith insisted, as she followed Xander around in his workshop.

“I told you. I’m not canceling this date,” Xander countered. “Do you know we’ve already had to reschedule three times? Three times! I’m not doing it.”

“If her dream is right, are you willing to risk your life to go out with this woman?” Faith pushed. “Kennedy remembers seeing Willow in a head bandage.”

“You really want me to call up Alex and cancel our date because of, what? Gauze?”

Faith let out a sigh and said, “Fine, but be home before midnight. Agreed?”

Xander turned to leave and gave her a “Thanks, mom.”

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Robin’s Office – Moments Later

“Okay,” Faith said as she walked in, not bothering to knock. “Who’s that woman?”

“I told you, Karen Sturgess,” Robin replied. “A former student of mine.”

“Nah ah. I want the whole story,” she told him, as she took a seat on the end of his desk.

Robin rose and walked around to the front of the desk as he spoke. “Why the third degree?” he asked.

“Ken might have had a slayer dream about this girl.”

Robin seemed curious. “Really?”

“Yeah, and in this dream she and Xander and Will end up dead. That means I want to know as much as I can about this…student.”

“Is that a touch of jealousy I hear?” Robin teased.

“Why would I be jealous of a woman I’ve never seen or heard of until now?” Faith countered. After a few moments, she admitted softly, “Okay, maybe a little.” Robin grinned in response. “But she comes out of nowhere, and then you act like long-lost soulmates, and Ken’s spazzing because she thinks she’s gonna die so, yeah, maybe I’ve got a few issues with this woman,” Faith said all in one breath.

“Karen wouldn’t hurt anyone. As a matter of fact, I’m surprised she hasn’t joined the council.”

“Why?” Faith asked.

“Her parents were killed by vampires, and she would have been killed herself, but I saved her. I got her into a foster care program and she graduated from Claremont Schools in Sunnydale, the first place I was teaching after I graduated.”

“That’s it?”

Robin nodded. “Pretty much. I mean if Karen was in the dream, I don’t think Ken should be worried. I can’t see her hurting a fly, and especially not a slayer, given how she lost her family. In fact, I was thinking about asking her to join once we get her problem solved.”

“Problem? She’s got a problem?” Faith asked.

“A rather odd one, yes. Time skips around her. But if we find the cure, she’d make a great addition here.” When Faith rolled her shoulders uncomfortably at the news, Robin added, “Annnd I’m about to hear a counterpoint, I take it?”

“I don’t know, Ace. My slayer sense is tingling here.”

“Sure it’s just not that pesky thing called the green-eyed monster? I did have a life before I met you, Faith.”

“Maybe,” Faith conceded, “but this woman just rubs me the wrong way.”

“You haven’t even spoken to her. Not really,” Robin retorted.

Faith shrugged and went to the door. “Some people you just don’t have to talk to. With some folks, you just know.”

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“To find out more info on Karen Sturgess,” Faith answered.

“Faith, I told you –”

“I know, and I trust you, Ace. I just don’t trust her.”

Robin shook his head. “No, if you trusted me, you wouldn’t push this.”

“Nooo,” Faith countered sarcastically. “If I don’t push this and Ken ends up dead, I’ll regret it. I love you, Ace, but your blind devotion to this woman –”

“Blind devotion?” Robin asked, raising his voice.

“Yeah, I think you’re just a little naive. It’s great you saved her, but people change. Where’s she been the last five years? What’s she been doin’? You don’t know everything about her. And I’m sorry, but I’ll trust Ken’s dream before I trust a woman I’ve never met before.”

“Before me?” Robin asked pointedly.

Faith sighed. “This isn’t about trusting you.”

“The hell it’s not,” Robin said angrily. “I know this girl, Faith. She came here looking for help.”

“And I said, I know people. What you see on the outside might not be what’s on the inside.”

Without saying more, Faith stormed from the room.

Fade To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Slayer Dorm – Moments Later

“If I do this, then you’ll fix me, right?” Karen asked into her cell phone.

Cut To:

Int.

James Tyrell’s Office – Same Time

“Absolutely. You have my word,” Tyrell answered. “There are several methods to fixing your problem, but we know the correct one, one that will work. But realize, it has to be tonight at midnight or no deal. The dagger and the slayer sacrifice are useless otherwise.”

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Slayer Dorm – Same Time

Karen stood up and began to pace, but didn’t say anything.

Cut To:

Int.

James Tyrell’s Office – Same Time

“Don’t be getting cold feet on us now, Miss Sturgess,” James said sternly.

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Slayer Dorm – Same Time

“I’m not, I’m not,” she assured him quickly. “I’m just not sure how I’m going to do it.”

Cut To:

Int.

James Tyrell’s Office – Same Time

“Have you made contact with Kennedy?”

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Slayer Dorm – Same Time

“Not so much, but I know who she is.”

Cut To:

Int.

James Tyrell’s Office – Same Time

“Wonderful. That’s the first step,” James told her soundly. “Remember, you’re doing what needs to be done. Something the American Council would never consider, because they refuse to look at the whole picture. And if you help us, then we’ll help you.”

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Slayer Dorm – Same Time

“I understand that,” she answered. “I’ve just…I’ve never killed a person. That’s all.”

Cut To:

Int.

James Tyrell’s Office – Same Time

“A slayer is not a person,” Tyrell answered. “They are a tool. A means to an end. And if this one slayer’s death prevents hundreds, perhaps even thousands, more, don’t you think that’s worth it? Wouldn’t you give your own life to do the same?”

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Slayer Dorm – Same Time

“I would,” Karen admitted softly.

Cut To:

Int.

James Tyrell’s Office – Same Time

“See? You understand. You have your priorities intact. Call me after you’ve completed the task. Understood?”

Cut To:

Int.

Slayer Dorm – Same Time

“Yes sir,” she answered, turning off the phone. Karen sat on the edge of her bed, looking at the dagger in her suitcase, when she heard a knock. She quickly closed the case and went to the door. As she opened it, she saw Robin standing there.

“Hi, it’s almost suppertime. Care to join me in the dining room? We can catch up,” he suggested.

“Sure,” she said, forcing a smile.

Cut To:

Int.

Dining Room – Moments Later

Karen and Robin sat side by side at a table in the dining room, eating their meal.

“So, what have you been up to?” Robin asked.

“I tried college, and I almost graduated, but that’s when things got worse. It’s hard to hear a lecture when time keeps skipping around on you, so I had to drop out. Same with my job too. I just couldn’t deal. I used my inheritance and went searching for you.”

“Although I wish the circumstances were better, I’m glad you’re here,” Robin told her. “In fact, I’d like to ask you to join us. We could use some watchers to look after all the slayers we have now.”

“Do you know who it would have been?”

“What do you mean?” Robin asked.

“If the spell hadn’t been done, who would have been next in line as Slayer?” Karen asked.

“I’m not sure,” Robin said frankly. “I mean, there are probably some books that have prophecies in them, but we’ve never looked into it, really. There’s no need. All the girls that might have been slayers became slayers, so we have enough to worry about in the here and now, without worrying about what might have happened.” He grinned.

After a small silence passed between them, Karen asked, “What about you? What have you been doing?”

“Teaching the finer points of watcherhood,” he told her. “My mom’s watcher finds it a bit funny, actually.”

“Why’s that?” Karen asked.

“I spent so much time training and acting like a slayer, but now I’ve become just like him – a teacher, a watcher. He calls it instant karma.”

“Do you oversee a slayer?” she asked.

Robin shook his head as he chewed. “No, my main job is to teach watchers how to be watchers. How to train the girls, defend themselves, rules of watcher conduct, things like that.”

“You don’t teach them how to research, huh? I figured with all those reports you used to assign in class, you’d do that too,” she teased.

Robin chuckled. “No, we’ve got a watcher by the name of Rowena who’s a wiz at that stuff. Demonology, world religions, text and book names. She’s our go-to gal when it comes to all that, but she’s not available at the moment, unfortunately. But we’ve still got some bright WITs here that are great researchers. They can look up our problem.”

“WITs?”

“Watchers-in-training,” Robin explained, and Karen nodded. “But don’t worry. Like I promised, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“What makes you so sure?” Karen asked.

“Because we’re good,” Robin said smugly, straightening his tie playfully. “Seriously, we know our stuff. And beside that, I promised I’d always be there for you Karen. I keep my promises.”

Karen gave a slight grin and quickly went back to eating her food.

Cut To:

Int.

Conference Room – Moments Later

“Thank you for meeting with me,” a man in a suit and tie told Mia, who sat across the conference table from him. “I would have come down to the infirmary, you know.”

“Yeah, but I’m tired of lying around in bed,” she answered. “I’m good as long as I don’t try to run or anything.”

“That’s good,” he nodded. “How are you otherwise?”

“Fine,” Mia answered shortly.

The man leaned in and rested his forearms on his knees. “Are you sure? A few of the slayers have been having dreams – well, nightmares – after the recent events in the dreamscape. And your run-in with the Mizor demon might leave you feeling a bit frazzled.”

“No, I’m okay,” Mia answered.

“Sure?”

Mia gave a frustrated sigh. “Look, if you keep asking me the same question over and over, this sign-off is going to take forever.”

He paused for a few seconds. “I’m not trying to make your life more difficult. You might be physically mending, but it’s my job to ensure that you’re mentally ready to return to service, Mia.”

“I’m good. So, can I go now?” she asked impatiently.

“Not yet,” he told her, which made her roll her eyes. “I want to discuss the scars.” He nodded to Mia’s wrists.

She pulled the sleeves of her shirt down, covering them. “What about them?”

“Faith tells me you tried to take your life. You didn’t mention that in our first session.”

Mia looked away and glanced around the room. “There was nothing to say. I had to kill someone I knew. It was just a reaction.”

“How did that make you feel, taking the life of someone you knew?”

Mia didn’t answer. Instead she rubbed her hands over her face in annoyance. “Like Hell,” she finally answered.

“Are you still considering death as an option regarding your guilt?”

“No. I told you. It was a reaction to what happened at the time. That’s all.”

“Nothing more?”

“No.”

The man looked at Mia a moment longer and nodded his head. “Okay, we’ll call it a day, but I’d still like to see you again. How’s Friday?”

Mia gave a ragged sigh. “Fine,” she told him as she stood up. “Can I be excused now?”

“By all means,” he answered. Without saying more, Mia turned and left the room, as he made notes on his legal pad.

Cut To:

Int.

Library – Moments Later

Robin escorted Karen into the library, where Dawn and Skye were waiting and talking.

“First up,” Dawn told the pair as they entered. “I know I’m a poor substitute for Rowena, but we’ll give it a go.” Skye nudged Dawn when Karen issued a nervous look, and Dawn quickly added, “But if we need to, we can also contact Robson and Al in England. I’m sure they have lots of information.”

“I appreciate all the help we can get, Dawn. This might be a bit out of my league,” Robin told her.

Faith walked in, and Robin looked surprised to see her sit down and grab a book. She gave him an indignant look and said, “Yes, I can research, I just don’t like to do it on a regular basis.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Dawn and Skye are helping,” he offered.

Faith asked, “Is this important to you?”

“Of course.”

“Then it’s important to me. End of discussion.”

Robin grinned.

Cut To:

Int.

Xander’s Car – Later that Night

Xander drove Alex in his car along the city streets. “So, what will it be tonight? Italian? Seafood? What do you like?”

“Seafood is good,” she told him.

He nodded. After a few seconds, he added, “You know, I expected you to cancel again tonight.”

“I know I haven’t been the most reliable lately,” she replied. “This latest case has been…time consuming, to say the least.” An uncomfortable silence passed between them. “So, how’s Jeff doing? You know, with school and all?”

“Not bad,” Xander replied. “We’ve had some trouble the last couple of weeks, but…”

“What kind?”

Xander seemed unsure of how to reply. “The usual,” he answered instead. “But things are getting on track.”

Another silence passed between them, then Alex asked, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot!”

“Have you ever heard of a law firm called Wolfram and Hart?” Alex asked out of nowhere.

Xander slammed on the brakes, making them squeal. When the car stopped, he cast a wide-eyed glare at Alex. The car behind him blared its horn.

Cut To:

Int.

Willow’s Apartment – Same Time

“Can I come in?” Rowena asked. Willow opened the door to her apartment wider and Rowena entered. “Let me just jump in and say, you can avoid me all you like, but I promised I wouldn’t run away.”

“You also promised no more secrets,” Willow reminded her. “Yet your latest one killed people, nearly killed Mia. Not to mention the fact that defending you to Giles almost killed him, too.”

“Giles’s heart attack wasn’t your fault,” Rowena told her.

“Then why does it feel that way? I know he said he doesn’t hold it against me. But if I hadn’t been fighting with him, defending you, I wouldn’t have gotten him upset.”

“So, somehow I’m to blame, too?” Rowena asked.

“Yes, you are. We both are,” Willow added. “You don’t get it,” she sighed. “You destroyed information for personal gain, Rowena.”

“I do realize that, but what do I do? Keep beating myself up about it? Continue to avoid you? What does that solve? I was certain Giles would take the easy way out and kill you. I couldn’t let that happen,” Rowena countered.

“After almost a decade together you thought Giles would kill me? One of his biggest assets to the council?”

“The council views people as tools.”

“The Old Guard did. Not the New Guard. Jeez, I can’t believe I’m saying this but Giles is right. You really haven’t been paying attention, have you?” Willow released a deep sigh. “I’m sorry Rowena. With everything that’s happened I can’t trust you now. I wish I could, but I can’t.”

Rowena snorted. “You are such a drama queen. Look, I’m reeeal sorry for not being a perfect human and for tumbling off the pedestal you have so graciously put me on, Willow.”

“I did no such thing,” she retorted.

“The hell you didn’t,” Rowena shouted. “But you know what’s different now? Now you get to see me, warts and all. I did what I thought I had to, because I love you that much. God, you’re so pig headed sometimes.”

“I thought my decisiveness was one of my endearing qualities,” Willow replied sardonically.

“It’s a double-edged sword, like your sarcasm,” Rowena countered. Rowena sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

“Look, why don’t you just go?” Willow told her.

“I’m not leaving this apartment until we get this worked out,” Rowena countered.

“Fine!” Willow said, walking toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Rowena asked.

“If you won’t go, then I will.”

Willow stormed toward her coat rack and grabbed her coat. She threw the door open and walked away. Rowena folded her arms across her chest and took a seat on Willow’s couch.

“Fine,” she muttered to herself. “I’ll just be here when you get back.”

Cut To:

Int.

Xander’s Car – Later that Night

“I knew you were evil!” Xander exclaimed.

Alex laughed and said, “No, I’m not. But I’d like to know how you’ve heard of Wolfram and Hart.” Xander seemed reluctant to say anything, so Alex went on. “Perhaps there’s more to each of us than either of us is saying. But let’s just go to the restaurant. We can discuss it there.”

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Slayer Rec Room – Moments Later

Kennedy was sitting in the slayer rec room, trying to watch a movie as Jeff, Andrew and Tracey sat nearby, playing the board game version of Battletech.

A distress call came over the radio and Kennedy perked up her ears to listen. Vi was on the other end, but her words were unrecognizable. Kennedy walked over and activated the microphone.

“What’s wrong, Vi?” she asked.

“Back up. St. Clair and 63rd,” was all Kennedy was able to make out.

“Copy. I’m on my way.”

Andrew stood up and walked over to Kennedy. “You’re supposed to be off right now. With the dream and –”

“Willow’s here, so I’m safe. I won’t be gone long,” she told him. “I’ll help Vi and come right back. I swear.”

Andrew and the others looked around with uncertainty as Kennedy went out the door.

Black Out

 

 

End of Act Three

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