Originally broadcasted 4/27/04

Fade In:
Ext.
Becca’s Apartment – Night

“Did you have a good time tonight?” Giles asked as Becca pulled her keys from her purse, both of them walking down the short hallway to Becca’s apartment.

As if distracted and needing to catch up to the question, Becca began to nod, “Uh, yes, yes I did. But I always have a good time with you.” She stopped at the door and unlocked it. Giles leaned his shoulder against the doorway and looked fondly at Becca. Before she turned to face him, she started to speak. “I was actually thinking that…maybe if you don’t have plans tonight that you could stay here…tonight…all night.”

“All night?” Giles asked. Becca just nodded with a bashful grin. Giles nervously cleared his throat. “I have to admit that I’m not really prepared for an…overnight stay. You wanted to take things slowly, so I didn’t assume that I should –”

Becca cut him off with a soft kiss and whispered, “I must confess I’ve been plotting behind your back and I’ve taken care of preparations. But if you’d still rather wait, then –”

“No,” Giles said anxiously. Then he turned bright red and laughed. “Sorry I-I didn’t mean t-to sound so desperate but…” He paused to collect his thoughts and took Becca’s hands in his. “I would be honored to spend the night, if that’s what you wish.”

“I do,” she answered, softly but with conviction.

“Then I shall,” he told her. She led him into the apartment holding both of his hands, not breaking eye contact.

Cut To:
Int.
The Dawg Pound Bar and Grill – Same Time

“What about her?” Xander asked as he nodded across the room.

“The brunette?” Willow asked. “The one with the legs that go on forever? I’d say seven.”

“Seven? At least an eight. The short skirt helps, you gotta admit,” Xander joked.

“Doesn’t hurt,” Willow said taking a drink. “Okay, eight it is.”

Faith sat in between Willow and Xander. “I need a friend who digs guys,” she sighed. Suddenly, she pointed over to the table at the left. “Ooh! What about her? She’s pretty hot.”

“Where?” Xander asked as he started to search.

“The strawberry blonde?” Willow asked, looking in the direction Faith pointed.

“Yeah,” Faith nodded. “She might run AC/DC. You  both could be in for a fun night.”

Realizing Faith had suckered them into looking, only to make fun of them, they each slapped one of her arms at the same time. “Ouch,” Faith said in mock pain before smirking. “You people are so violent.” As she poured more beer from their pitcher into her glass, she announced, “I noticed something. You two have the same taste in women.”

“Excuse me?” Willow remarked before she pointed at Xander. “Here’s a man that dated a vengeance demon, okay? So not my thing.”

“Maybe not personality-wise, but physically you do,” Faith said. “All night long you two seem to agree on who is hot which, quite frankly, is a mystery to me.”

“Oh Lordy,” Xander told the table, ignoring Faith’s comment. He nodded over to the bar. “Check her out – nice curves, long hair.”

Willow looked over at the woman, who’s back was turned to them and gave an appreciative smile. “Yeah, she looks like a hottie,” she agreed as she took a drink.

Faith squinted and started to smile. “Be right back,” she said, quickly leaving the table and heading toward the stranger at the bar. With growing paranoia, Willow and Xander watched Faith move through the small crowd.

“Oh God,” Xander said as Faith got closer to the woman, “What is she doing? She’s not gonna…Oh God, she is.”

“She wouldn’t,” Willow muttered. “Would she?”

The two best friends quickly turned away from each other to see Faith chatting with the woman and pitching a thumb back toward their table. It was then that the woman turned around.

Xander and Willow’s jaws both dropped at the same time when they saw Faith waving and smiling knowingly at them.

The woman Faith spoke to was Rowena.

The two friends shared another nervous look, but turned back again to see Faith leading Rowena to the table. Willow and Xander fidgeted, both looking as if they would like to run and hide but had nowhere to go.

“Hey,” Willow said first, making a stab at a conversational tone. “What brings you out tonight?”

“Decided to get out of the Council,” Rowena answered. “Andrew wanted pizza, as usual, so I told him I’d pick it up, but it’s not done yet.”

“Well, here,” Willow said, hopping from her chair. “Have a seat a-and a drink while you wait.”

“Thanks,” Rowena said. She took the offered chair and poured a drink as Willow stood close beside her. “So, what are you guys up to tonight?”

“Gawking at hot chicks,” Faith answered and Rowena stopped drinking, slightly choking. Then she smiled. “These two are good at it, too,” Faith added, pointing to Xander and Willow. “Yearsss of experience. I can tell.”

“Eye candy, eh?” Rowena teased. She glanced around the room. “So, any prospects?”

Xander and Willow both looked away guiltily, then both spoke at the same time.

“Slow night,” Xander answered.

“Not much to see,” Willow replied.

Rowena looked at Faith a moment and the slayer only shrugged. “I suggested the strawberry blonde over there,” Faith said, pointing behind her. “But they got distracted by someone at the bar.”

Willow’s eyes went wide and her jaw clenched as she looked at Faith. Feeling Rowena’s eyes turn toward her, Willow’s harsh demeanor dropped and she grabbed Rowena’s glass. “How ’bout some more?” she said, quickly reaching for the pitcher.

Rowena took the glass away. “I’m good,” she replied. “So, is this what you and Xander do?” she asked, taking another sip.

“Do? Huh?” Willow asked.

“Yeah,” Rowena said straight-faced. “Have Faith bring a girl to your table and get her drunk to see which one of you she hits on?”

Xander and Willow both got wide eyed and started shaking their heads. Before they could speak, Rowena began to chuckle. “Relax, okay? Just a joke.”

“Oh, hehe. Very funny.” Willow replied.

“Allister!” a voice called from the bar.

“Well, looks like I’m up,” Rowena said, hopping from the tall stool at the table. “You guys aren’t driving home, are you?”

“We got it covered,” Faith told her.

“Okay,” Rowena told them. “If you’d like a lift back, just give me a call.”

“Will do, Blondie,” Faith told her. “Enjoy the pizza.”

Rowena gave a short wave to Xander and Willow as she headed back to the bar again. Once she was out of earshot, Faith began to chuckle. “You should have seen the look on your faces.” The chuckle soon turned into a laugh. Willow and Xander both sat in their seats with their arms folded across their chests, not the least bit amused.

“And you claim you’re no longer evil,” Xander told her.

Faith continued to laugh but settled down, giving him a shrug. “Hey, I still gotta get my kicks somehow.”

Fade In:
Ext.
Alley Outside the Dawg Pound Bar and Grill – Later that Night

 

“That was fun,” Faith admitted, wrapping an arm around each one of them. “It’s much better hangin’ with you guys than trying to kill you,” she said, giving her companions a smile.

“I agree,” Xander told her. “I’d much rather drink with you than fight for my life against you.”

“Hey, bygones and all that junk right?” Faith told him.

They walked a little ways until Willow spoke. “Do you ever wonder though?”

 

“Wonder what?” Faith asked.

“If we had met you sooner, what might have happened?”

“You mean like if we were kids?” Faith asked.

“Yeah, life was simpler then,” Willow answered.

Faith shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. There’s a part of me that’d like to do it all over again if I could, a second shot at gettin’ it right. But we’re stuck with what we’ve got, right? It could be worse.”

“Everything happens for a reason,” Willow answered as the trio continued along toward the main street.

Behind them, Amy Madison stepped out from the shadows of the alley and waved her hand. A yellow mist floated from her fingertips toward the three friends.

“That it does,” she whispered.

Black Out

 

 

End of Teaser