Original broadcasted 05/22/07

Fade In:

Int.

Television Studio – Morning

Tally Atwater sat next to Kennedy in front of a row of cameras. A studio audience of about seventy-five people sat behind the cameras, watching the interview.

“You’ve had some, how should I say this, run-ins with the press in the past. Correct?”

Kennedy gave a slight grin. “Yes, I have had reporters asking me inappropriate questions at the wrong time. And I must admit, on one occasion, I lost my temper.”

“Can you elaborate?” Atwater asked.

“Well, it was after one of my best friends, Vi Joston, was murdered. They asked some personal questions while I was working. It’s not that I won’t talk to the press – I’m here now – it’s just that there should be a time and place for everything and I think there are some reporters who don’t get that.”

“Reporters make their living asking questions.”

“True, and I understand that. But suppose someone you were close to died and two minutes from now someone came in here unannounced, on this very set, and shoved a microphone in your face for a response to your recent loss. How would you feel? You’ve lost one of your best friends in the world and you’re in the middle of doing your job. I’m sure you’d have the director over there tossing the guy out by the ear.”

“Point taken,” the reporter conceded. “And I should add, a thank you for talking to us now.”

“Like I said, a time and a place,” Kennedy answered with a grin.

“Now, you recently had an altercation with Ms. Joston’s murderer, Slayer Heli Hamalainen,” Atwater remarked. “Can you tell us a bit about what happened, in your own words?”

“There’s not much to tell really,” Kennedy said with a sigh. “I spent months following leads, and finally got a solid tip about her being in Tokyo. I and other members of the Council went along to check it out and, after a direct confrontation, I killed her.”

“Can you tell us what happened that night?”

“Well…I located her and ordered that she surrender herself. She refused, I pursued, a fight ensued between us and when the opportunity presented itself, I fired several shots that killed her.”

“How did that feel?”

“How do you think it felt?” Kennedy asked, before taking a drink from the cup on the table beside her. When the reporter said nothing further, Kennedy said, “It’s not like in the movies, you know? The good guy kills the bad guy and then rides off into the sunset? It’s not like that at all. In fact…it hurts…But I know I got a dangerous person off the street, so…that helps. It helps knowing she won’t hurt anyone else ever again.”

“I think I speak for many people when I say it’s a relief to know she won’t be hurting any more young girls.”

The audience began to clap and Kennedy waited.

“It’s not just the young girls,” she said. “It’s the families of those girls, their friends too, co-workers…Heli did a lot of damage to a lot of people, good people who just want to make the world a better place. But like I said, from now on, no one else has to suffer.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, I think you’re still suffering,” Atwater remarked.

“A part of me, sure.”

“Does the council offer any kind of psychological support?”

“Yeah, and I’m seeing someone to work things through. I think maybe it’s just better to say Heli’s made the last person suffer. I can’t claim everything is A-okay but, like I said, she’s gone and I’m still here. And I’ll be the last person she ever affects, so that’s good. It helps to focus on the positive.”

The interviewer paused for a moment and then said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk a bit about your history.”

“Okay,” Kennedy replied. She took another drink of water.

“It says here you were a ‘potential.’ What does that mean, exactly?”

“Before Willow did her spell –”

“Willow Rosenberg? The Cleveland High Priestess?” Atwater asked for clarification.

“Yes, sorry, that Willow,” Kennedy remarked with a grin, making the audience chuckle. She turned to address the audience. “When you work with these people for so long, you forget they’re celebs now.”

“And there’s a celebrity wedding coming up here soon. Did you get your invitation?”

“Yes, this June, and I got my invitation,” Kennedy remarked. “I’m sure you probably have it written down somewhere on that little card you’re holding, but Willow’s actually my ex.”

“I was going to ask about that, because she’s marrying another council member, right?” the interviewer asked, with a brief glance at her card.

“Right, Will and Ro are getting hitched.” Kennedy turned to the audience. “Sorry, Rowena Allister, for those of you playing along at home.”

The audience chuckled again.

“Do you all get along? It seems like…there might be some tension there, with everyone working so closely together.”

“No, it’s cool. And Rowena’s a good match for Willow – I’m sure they have fun indexing books at night, which just isn’t my thing.” The audience chuckled. “But no, Ro’s pretty cool and she knows her stuff.” Kennedy then looked over toward the cameras. “Can we just edit that last comment out? I don’t want it to go to Rowena’s head if she sees this,” she teased, making the audience laugh once more.

“Can’t let it be known you might actually like her?” Atwater teased.

“Right,” Kennedy replied. “I definitely don’t want that.” She gave a light chuckle. “You had an original question in there someplace, didn’t you?” she added to the reporter.

“Potentials and Willow’s spell,” Atwater prompted with a grin.

“Oh yeah, Willow Rosenberg did a spell that activated all the girls who potentially might be slayers. In the old days, there was only one slayer –”

“But I thought there were two? Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane?”

“Well, yeah, but that’s a longer story,” Kennedy replied, making the audience laugh again. “I was trained for years by a watcher because there was a chance I might become a slayer if one of the originals had died. But many of the girls today are being trained immediately as slayers, since they already have their powers. My job is to help Faith Lehane in organizing the Slayer Division and helping these girls that come in.”

“Sounds like quite a challenge,” the reporter replied.

“Some days it can be – surrounded by a bunch of hormonal teenagers with superpowers…issues come up, as you can imagine.” Kennedy remarked. “Truth is, some days I wish there wasn’t any magic or demons and I could have a typical life.”

Atwater looked at Kennedy, her face suddenly transformed into that of a vengeance demon.

“Done,” was all she said, before Kennedy heard what sounded like a sonic boom.

Flash To:

Int.

Kennedy’s Bedroom – Same Time

“You’re gonna be late, sleepyhead,” a woman’s voice called out.

Kennedy opened one eye and then the other, before her eyebrows scrunched in curiosity. She slowly sat up and her mouth dropped open. Jenny Calendar stood at the foot of Kennedy’s bed in a room that Kennedy didn’t recognize.

“Better get a move on,” Jenny told her, as she left with an arm full of dirty clothes.

Kennedy sat with the same shocked expression, not moving a muscle.

Black Out

 

 

End of Teaser