Auld Lang SyneTeaser

Story by CN Winters and Zahir al Daoud

Written by CN Winters and Dan Joslyn (additional writing by Susan Carr)

Produced and Directed by CN Winters

Edited by DragonWriter17

Sounds by CSR

Art Direction by Robert Kidman

Artists – Robert Kidman, CN Winters, Zahir al Daoud, Isis, Mattxxx, and Humaira

 

Fade In:

Ext.

Greek Island – Docks – Day

Jeff and Lorinda walked down the plank of the small boat to the dock.

"This is sooo cool," Lorinda said, excited. "I’ve never been to Greece. Heck, I’ve never been outside the U.S.…unless you count Canada, but really, who counts Canada? It’s right across the lake back home for Pete’s sake," she rambled.

Lorinda was all smiles, but Jeff appeared distracted. He looked around the seaport in various directions. Fixing his eyes on one spot, he motioned Lorinda to follow him.

"This way," was all he said.

"Lighten up, Jeff," Lorinda said as she tagged along. "This should be a fun trip."

"You need to stay focused," Jeff replied. "This isn’t a holiday pleasure cruise."

"Well, technically New Year’s is a holiday," she retorted.

"When I say ‘holiday,’ I mean a vacation," Jeff said, "Remember, we’re working here."

They walked a few more paces. "So where’s this priest guy anyway?" Lorinda asked.

"His church isn’t too far from the docks," Jeff answered. "He said take the second street from the right, so I’m assuming this is the way."

"Didn’t he give you an address? We could ask one of the locals. If we tell them we’re from the Watchers Council and—" Lorinda replied but was cut off my Jeff’s cupped hands over her mouth.

He quickly removed his hand. "He wants to keep this quiet, which means we can’t be blabbing about the Council," he explained as he lowered his voice on the word ‘Council’. "We’ll find him, don’t worry. Come on," he added.

Cut To:

Int.

Cleveland – Hopkins International Airport – Day

Althenea’s smile widened as she watched Rowena and Willow talking to each other. Rowena looked over first and spotted the raven-haired witch. She nodded toward Althenea and motioned with her hand, making Willow look over. The smile grew only larger as the two waiting women also smiled.

"It’s been ages since I’ve seen you," Althenea teased as she pulled Rowena into an embrace.

"It’s been a few weeks," Rowena corrected her.

"Maybe it just feels like forever," Althenea replied. She turned to Willow. "Now, it has been quite some time since I’ve seen you," she added.

Willow pulled her into a tight hug. "I just want to go on record and say I don’t think this is necessary," she began. "But I’m ultra happy to see you."

"Point taken," Althenea replied. 

"So, what's on your agenda tonight huh?" Rowena asked.

"Nothing except spending time with my two dear friends," Althenea answered.

"Well, one dear friend, actually," Rowena replied, causing a confused look on Althenea’s face as Willow nodded. "We got a call about a hell hound or something around Detroit, so I’m heading out to investigate it shortly. However, I plan to make the most of the time that I have," she told her.

"Well then, lead the way," Althenea said as she motioned toward the exit.

Cut To:

Ext.

Greek Church – Moments Later

Jeff and Lorinda approached a man in a collar who stood sweeping the steps of the church with a broom.

When Jeff came within a few yards, the priest stopped his task and made his way down the stairs, moving toward Jeff.

"Father Niko Makros?" he began. "I’m Jeff Lindquist, and this is my slayer Lorinda." The Father nodded and then began to quickly speak in Greek. "Whoa! One minute," Jeff said, holding his hands in front of them. He held up one finger and then produced an electronic dictionary from his back pocket.

Lorinda rolled her eyes as Jeff and the man gathered around the device. She slowly made her way off toward a graveyard that sat on the side of the church.

She walked around the tombstones, looking at the names. She tried to read one of them out loud.

"Pap-a-dop-o-lis?" she muttered. "Jeez, I’d get a headache living here with these goofy names."

She walked a few more steps, looking at the grave markers, and then stopped in her tracks. Her mouth began to open, but no sound came out. She moved down to her knees to reveal that the name she was looking at was her very own.

It read: "Lorinda Covington 1791-1807."

"Holy crap," she muttered.

Fade Out.

End of Teaser

Act One

Starring:Elijah Wood as Jeff Lindquist, Lacey Chambert as Skye, Rachel Hurd-Wood as Lorinda, Helen Shaver as Becca Giles and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers

Guest Starring:Michelle Rodriguez as Kadin Van Helsing, Ashton Kutcher as Ethan Rayne, Billy Crudup as Rupert Giles, Evangeline Lilly as Marissa, and Jennifer Connelly as Althenea Dimmons. 

Fade In:

Int.

Giles and Becca’s House – Afternoon

Giles walked down the hallway with a rolling suitcase in one hand and Elizabeth on his other arm. Becca followed behind them, holding Martin in her arms.

"Remember—" he began but was cut short.

"If anything happens, I will get to the Council," Becca replied. "Cross my heart."

"And you have my cell number in case you need it?"

"Programmed in the phone," she answered. "Both phones," she quickly added, correcting herself before he could do it. "But there is something you can do for me."

"What?" he asked.

"Relax," she said seriously before smiling at him. "We’ll be okay. It’s only a few days, and you’ll be back before New Year’s, so just…have some fun, okay? We’ll be fine."

"A-All right, but just remember, if there’s trouble, get to Willow. She’ll be able to protect you."

"Yes," Becca sighed. "I know, Rupert."

He moved in and gave her a kiss before stroking Martin on the small patch of hair growing on top of his head. He turned to leave when Becca got his attention.

"Aren’t you forgetting something?" she asked.

He looked at her questioningly, and she nodded toward Elizabeth, who was still in his arms playing with the zipper on his jacket.

"Oh, right," he said quickly and put her on the ground next to Becca. He leaned over and kissed the young girl on the top of the head. "Be good for your mum." When Giles rose again, he gave Becca another kiss, and she opened the door shooing him away. Once he and his suitcase passed the threshold, she closed the door behind him.

Cut To:

Ext.

Giles and Becca’s House – Afternoon

Giles stood on the stoop.

"You didn’t lock—" he began to say in a loud voice when the sound of the door locked.

"It’s locked," Becca shouted back with a slight hint of laugher in her voice. "Now go away."

Giles smiled and started down the steps.

Cut To:

Int.

Giles and Becca’s House – Afternoon

Becca shook her head with a smile on her face. "That daddy of yours, girl. I don’t know about him."

"Don’t know," Elizabeth mimicked her.

Becca chuckled and held out her hand, motioning Elizabeth to follow her. "Come on, Sweetie. We’ll make some cookies for when Daddy comes back, how’s that sound?"

"Cookie!" Elizabeth shouted as she began to try to run toward the kitchen.

"Slow down," Becca told her. She muttered to herself with a grin. "You fall and get a bruise, and he’ll never leave again."

Cut To:

Int.

Willow and Rowena’s Apartment – Same Time

"I wish I could go too," Willow said as she sat on the bed watching Rowena pack her bag.

"Someone needs to keep the home fires burning," Rowena told her in a seductive voice as she leaned over. Willow captured Rowena’s face in her hands, giving her a passionate kiss. "Just don’t do any burning with Al," she added.

"It’s the Yule time. Not May Day," she teased, making Rowena grin. "But you better be home for New Year’s," Willow told her with a wave of her finger. "I need a smoochie partner."

"Well, that’s the plan and honestly…I don’t think we’re going to find anything. This trip feels more geared toward Leonard Nimoy and his old ‘In Search of…’ crew than the Council."

"Well, just be careful," Willow told her.

Cut To:

Int.

Faith and Robin’s Apartment – Same Time

"Hey, I’m always careful," Faith said, gesturing with open palms.

Robin stepped up and took them in his before leaning in to give her a soft kiss. "Still, you don’t know what you guys might find out there," he told her. "So just be prepared is all."

"Ace," she sighed. "You’ve got nothing to worry about. We’ll go, we’ll investigate, and I’ll be home long before the mirrored, lighted ball drops in Times Square."

"Promise?" Robin grinned.

"Cross my heart," Faith said as she made an ‘X’ across her chest. "Of course I think I’d feel better if Jeff was the one going but…I’ll take any coven member I can get."

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Kitchen – Same Time

"And remember, Casey has a cheese allergy," Andrew told Tracey.

"I’ve been working here long enough to know all this, Andy. Just chill, okay?" she answered.

"I’m trying," he said. Tracey looked skeptical. "I am, but I’ve never really been on a mission like this before. Heck, even Mr. Giles is going, so you know this is going to be pretty exciting."

Tracey smiled. "I’m sure you’ll do just fine." She gave him a kiss and pulled back. "Call me when you get in?"

"Absolutely," he told her. He gave her an enthusiastic wave before going through the double doors backward, watching her as he walked.

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Lobby – Later

Faith came from a side hallway carrying her flight bag over her shoulder and another suitcase in her hand. She saw Andrew and Rowena talking to each other, their baggage at their feet.

"Looks like the gang’s almost all here," the slayer said as she walked up.

"Giles called and said he’s…" Rowena trailed off as Giles walked through the revolving door. "Right here, actually."

"So sorry I’m late," Giles told the group. "I almost left with my daughter," he added with a sigh.

"Should have brought her," Faith told him with a grin. "Break her in now."

Giles gave Faith an annoyed look and then turned to Rowena. "Does everyone know by now?" he asked.

Rowena opened her mouth to say something, but Andrew interrupted her asked, "Know what?"

"No," Rowena answered Giles. "And it’s nothing," she told Andrew. "Everyone all set?" She looked around the group.

"Let’s do it," Faith said as she picked her suitcase back up and grabbed one of Giles’s bags.

"I’m not an invalid," Giles remarked.

"Sure," Faith teased. "Make the man with the heart condition carry his stuff. We need you for your brain on this trip, not your brawn."

"I still have plenty of brawn left, I’ll have you know," he countered.

"Fine," Faith said, handing him her bag. "We’ll trade."

Giles reached for it. When Faith let go, it nearly fell to the ground. "Good lord…what’s in this?"

Faith grinned and took it back. "My American Express, ‘never leave home without it’ bag."

"Or otherwise known as a small arsenal?" Rowena asked.

"You got it." Faith grinned as they all walked toward the elevator.

Cut To:

Ext.

Cleveland – Council Airfield – Moments Later

The group walked up to the Council plane as the pilot walked over to greet them.

"Is this everyone?" he asked.

"Yes," Rowena answered.

"Thank god," he sighed.

"Why?" Andrew asked, mimicking everyone’s confused expressions.

"Last time I flew with Rosenberg," the pilot explained, "she decided to crash my ’copter on the roof of the Council. Let’s try to avoid that this time, okay?" he said as he made a sweeping gesture toward the plane.

"I don’t have enough power to crash anything," Andrew offered. "So you can consider yourself safe this time."

"Good to know," the pilot said as he nodded them to climb aboard.

Cut To:

Int.

Greek Church – Guest Room – Evening

The priest entered the small guest room first and motioned them inside. He pointed out the twin beds to them.

"Thank you," Jeff said politely.

The priest simply smiled and nodded repeatedly before closing the door behind him, leaving Jeff and Lorinda inside. Jeff took his bag over to one of the beds and set it down. He opened it up and began to take a few of his belongings out.

"I wish I’d signed up for Greek lessons like Hope did this year," Jeff said as he unpacked. Lorinda continued to look around the room, her eyes for the moment fixed on a crucifix on the far wall.

"Yes, let’s all be like Hope," she muttered.

Jeff looked over but said nothing about the comment and continued. "From what I’ve been able to translate, this vampire is ancient."

"Like 100 plus?" Lorinda replied absently as she still looked around the room.

Jeff grinned. "No, much longer than that," he replied.

"Like dinosaur ancient?"

"Man and dinos never existed together," he answered. "So a little bit younger, but not by much if I understand the priest correctly. He lives atop the island and sleeps for decades at a time."

Lorinda stopped looking around the room and turned to face Jeff. "The priest?"

"No," Jeff chuckled. "The vampire. The reason we’re here, remember? Some of the locals say it’s a legend, but others say that he’s real and that he’s awoken."

"And if Hope were here, she’d be able to talk to the Greek vampire too. Wouldn’t that be peachy?"

"Lorinda," Jeff said sternly. "Enough with the Hope bashing, okay?"

"I just don’t get what you see in her," Lorinda whined. "Even Faith doesn’t hang around her, and she’s her own sister."

"Just go to sleep, all right?" he said, annoyed. "My private life isn’t any of your business."

"Oh, but my private life is yours? Why? Because I’m a slayer?" Lorinda countered.

"No, because you don’t have a private life yet, Lorinda. You’re fifteen. Like I said, go to sleep."

Jeff took his bag off his bed briskly, and Lorinda simply plopped back onto hers with a scowl.

Cut To:

Int.

Council Jet – Later

"Let’s play a game!" Andrew announced.

Everyone looked over at him but said nothing at first. Finally, Rowena took the bait.

"Okay, what do you suggest?" she asked.

Andrew thought for a moment. "Your most memorable New Year’s Eve."

"And how does one play this game exactly?" Giles asked.

"Easy, you just talk about something that happened on a New Year’s that you remember. Easy enough."

"I don’t really have a memorable New Year’s," Rowena replied. "Well, except for the first one with Willow. I actually got my first real New Year’s kiss, you know, from someone other than just a friend."

"I thought you were engaged to twiddle-dumb?" Faith asked.

Rowena chuckled. "I was, but one of us was always away on ‘business’ – him with the service, me with the Council. We were never in the same place at New Year’s."

"Well, what about you?" Andrew asked. "Any particular New Year’s Eve you remember?"

Faith thought for a moment. "Yeah, actually there is," she replied.

Flashback To:

Int.

California State Prison – Night

Sunday, Dec. 31st, 2000

"Lehane," a guard said, coming up to her cell. "Got a visitor," he said as he unlocked the door. Faith looked confused but rose to her feet.

Cut To:

Int.

Prison Visitor Room – Moments Later

The guard opened the barred door and allowed Faith inside. All the other seats were filled except for one. She began to grin as she walked over to the vacant chair and took a seat. She picked up the phone, putting it to her ear.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," she began. Angel grinned for a moment as he sat on the other side of the bulletproof glass, phone also to his ear. "What the heck are you doing here?" she asked.

"Darker in the evenings now that winter’s here," he replied. "I can make it out before visiting hours are over…Thought I’d see how you’re doing."

Faith shrugged. "Can’t complain. Of course that strength thing I got going for me comes in handy," she replied. "I’m not anybody’s bitch, I can tell you that much…How’s the fang gang? Wes still pissed at me?"

"Wes is…Wes," Angel sighed. "It’s only been a few months but…I think eventually he’ll come around." Faith just looked away. Angel seemed unsure of what to say but then said, "Hey, I’ve sent cards the last few months. Did you get ’em?"

"Yeah, but I never pictured you for being someone to walk into a Hallmark store."

"Truth is, Cordelia picked them up for me," he admitted.

"Yeah, I didn’t figure you for a guy to send a teddy bear card," she replied.

"Again, Cordy’s choice. I just asked for stuff that was kind of simple, and she kind of took it to the extreme. But I did sign them, so that means something, right?" He began to grin again.

Faith smiled. "Yeah, it does mean something," she replied. "What exactly I’m not sure," she added.

"Just thought you could use, I don’t know, a pick-me-up or something."

"Yeah, well I’m not much of a writer but…yeah, it’s nice to get something from the outside," Faith confessed.

"You can call me," Angel replied. "Whenever you like."

"That’s not exactly true," she said as she motioned around her.

"Okay, rephrase then. You’re welcome to call me when you can," he replied.

"Much better," she answered. Again, another silence passed between them until she was the one to speak. "Why are you here?" she asked again.

"I told you—"

"No," Faith interrupted. "No daylight. I get it. But why come to see me? Got nothing better to do on New Year’s Eve?"

"Paying a visit to someone I think could use it seemed like a better idea than anything else. Besides, why not be here?" Angel asked.

"Boy, where do I begin?"

"Faith," he answered and then paused. "Turning yourself over, trying to improve yourself…it takes a lot of guts. I admire that…I admire you."

"Is that a fact....Well, my history would say otherwise."

"You’re history is the past. It’s not what you are today, and it’s not what you could be tomorrow. I’m talking from experience here, Faith. And when compared to your history…" He let the sentence hang.

"Well, I don’t have the kind of time you’ve had to make amends," she pointed out.

"Doesn’t matter, you’ve already started. That’s the first step."

"Then why do I feel pretty useless right now? A new year but the same prison," she replied.

"But a different Faith. I could tell from the moment you sat down you’re not the girl you were seven months ago, and that’s a good thing."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, and I’m pretty confident that someday I’ll get to see the real Faith."

"And just who is the real Faith, Angel? I’m not sure who that person is…Not really."

"Like I said, she’s brave, she’s forthright, and all she really needs is someone to believe in her."

"Gonna be my sponsor, huh? Evil’s Anonymous?…I’ve done a lot of bad things…You could put that belief in a cause that might actually be worth saving, something instead of me."

"You’re worth more than you realize. Besides, do you really want to sit here and compare bad deeds? I’ll bury you, Faith." Again, the slayer looked away. "Hey," Angel said, making her look at him. "I’ve got your back, okay? Like you, I don’t write, but I’ll still send those cheesy cards, and I’ll call if you let me. So what do you say? You in?"

Faith began to grin. "Deal but only if you bring some Twix bars with you next time. They’re hard to come by around here, and I’m dying for one."

Angel gave a short chuckle. "Deal…And Faith?"

"Yeah?"

"I can’t do much from out here, but if you need anything, let me know. I’ll do what I can, when I can, and where I can. Because even tough girls with super strength need a little help now and then. So what do you say we start the year off right, huh?"

Faith began to grin. "Sure…maybe I’ll even pick up a pen and drop you a line."

"Time’s up," the guard told her. "Got lots of people waiting, Lehane."

"Yeah, okay," she told him.

"I’ll be around, Faith," Angel told her. "Always."

"Take care," she answered sincerely. "And tell Wes…" She seemed stuck on what to say.

Angel simply replied, "I will. Have a good New Year, Faith." He hung up the phone and smiled at her, putting his hand against the glass.

Faith hung up too and put her hand over his before giving him a wink. She turned around and walked out, not looking back.

Back to Present Day

Cut To:

Int.

Greece Church – Guest Room – Night

Lorinda was in bed sleeping when the sound of the door slamming open made her sit up sharply in bed. A shadowy figure ran toward her, and she tumbled out of bed to the floor and rolled under it, reaching for her sword.

As her hand wrapped around the hilt, a sword came through the bed nearly striking her. Armed, she rolled back out from the bed and jumped to her feet. Jeff, now awake, stood behind her.

"It’s the only way to earn your wings," he told her.

"What?" Lorinda asked as she turned to face him. Suddenly her eyes went wide, and she slumped quickly to the floor. She looked at the sword protruding from her stomach and found herself wearing what looked like nineteenth- century clothing.

Cut To:

Int.

Greece Church – Guest Room – Same Time

As quick as a ray of light, Lorinda shot up in bed again. This time Jeff was sound asleep in the other bed, but there was no one else in the room and the door was closed. She was breathing hard and began to hold her head, trying to take deep breaths.

Sweating, she slowly laid her head back down on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

Cut To:

Int.

Ypsilanti, Michigan – Police Station – Day

Gray, snow-reflected light shone through an office window. A thin, mustachioed man in his late forties motioned Giles and Andrew to chairs and then sat down across from them, behind his cluttered desk.

"Reports started coming in a couple of weeks ago," he told them, removing a manila folder from one of his desk drawers. "I have eight separate witnesses claiming they’ve seen some kind of creature, all in the same general vicinity near Ford Lake. Normally, I would have thrown them in the crazy drunks pile and been done with it, but ever since May, well, I take a second look at things. The problem is, all of the reports say different things."

Andrew whipped a small notepad out of one of the pockets in his voluminous winter coat. "If you could please give us the description of the beast, officer," he said, pencil poised, "and make sure to be specific."

"Well, let’s see here," the officer replied, leafing through the reports, "some of the witnesses said it looked like a dog from a distance, but others said it moved a little like a person running on all fours. A couple people said that it was very hairy, with long black hair and glowing red eyes. But I’ve got other reports talking about brown hair and foam around the mouth, and others who don’t say anything about the eyes. Those who got close enough to it did say it acted very threateningly towards them. Um…it also says here it’s got long, sharp teeth. Hope you folks brought a slayer with you."

"Just as I suspected!" Andrew exclaimed, in his best Sherlock Holmes voice. "A hell hound!"

Giles gave Andrew a rather dubious look, but after a moment nodded his assent. "That does seem to be the best explanation. The descriptions are still a bit strange, though."

The officer smiled and shook his head. "Well, I have to say you people certainly live up to your reputation. What was that…fifteen seconds?"

"You made the correct decision calling in the Council, sir, I assure you," Giles told him. "Hell hounds are demon warriors, bred for no other purpose but to kill. The question is, what type of hell hound is it? Different breeds have different strengths and weaknesses, and it’s difficult to tell the breed at this point."

"I don’t get it," the officer said. "What would an evil killing machine be doing in Ypsilanti?"

"Well, there could be any number of reasons," Andrew said. "Maybe a kid feels like everyone at his school hates him, so he decides to take revenge and raise up a horrible creature from the depths of hell. Do you have schools nearby?"

"Yeah, tons," he replied. "Plus, Eastern U and U of M are just down the road. Like I said, this ain’t exactly the boonies out here, but we’ve still got a fair share of walking trails and the lake that the Huron River runs through."

"Hmm…It could be a mistake by a witch in town who’s trying magic beyond her abilities, toying with forces beyond his or her comprehension. It might even be a previously undiscovered inter-dimensional hot-spot."

The officer sat back in his chair, impressed. "How do you know all this?"

"My older brother used to train hell hounds in our basement," Andrew said matter-of-factly. The officer just stared at him.

"I-I believe that our next step should be to try and locate the creature," Giles said in an attempt to change the subject. "A visual of some kind, such as a photograph or videotape, may help us identify the breed."

"Well, you might want to talk to the Armbristers up by the lake," the officer said. "Most of the sightings were on or near their property. They own a lot of the woods there."

"Yes, your message was quite specific," Giles told him. "Two of our associates are on their way there as we speak."

At that moment two sheriff deputies ran into the stationhouse quickly shutting the door behind them. The officer behind the desk shot to his feet.

"What is it?" he asked them.

"Good question. I don’t know what we saw. Cujo on acid maybe?" one of the scared deputies replied. "But I know one thing. I’m not going out there again." The other deputy nodded his head dramatically in agreement.

Fade Out.

End of Act One

Act Two

Cut To:

Ext.

Cemetery Outside Greek Church – Day

Lorinda looked up from the grave bearing her name to see Jeff talking to the priest. After a few nods Jeff began walking towards her. The sun shone brightly in the Mediterranean sky, and even the gravestones seemed time-weathered in the light.

"Didja ask him?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah," Jeff told her, sparing a brief glance at the gravestone. "Yeah, I did. The language barrier is still a problem, but I think I understood him."

"And?" Lorinda prompted.

"Turns out, another slayer came to this island in 1833," Jeff said.

Lorinda’s eyes drifted back to the date on the headstone. "I take it this story doesn’t have a happy ending?"

Jeff nodded. "She was killed. The, um, the natives put a stake through her heart and cut off her head before they buried her in consecrated ground, so I’m guessing…" He drifted off as he watched Lorinda slowly lean against one of the cemetery’s taller monuments, looking like she was doing all she could to keep from collapsing on the spot. "Lorinda?" he asked quietly. "I know this is freak-worthy, but—"

"I’m going to tell you something, okay?" Lorinda said in a far-off voice.

Jeff crossed his arms. "I’m listening."

"When I was little, we had this legend in our family, that…" Lorinda swallowed. "...that the women were cursed. Two of them were locked up in insane asylums and then died soon after, and another was hanged for murder. They all had dreams about...about monsters, ran around at all hours of the night." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Mom always said they were willful."

"Slayers," Jeff stated.

"Yeah, well, I didn’t know that at the time," Lorinda said. "And then, I started showing signs of it, too. I hit my older brother one time, you know, we were playing, and I knocked him out cold. My family stayed away from me after that. Afraid I’d damage their precious reputation. When the Council called up, they were thrilled to get me off their hands." She looked up at Jeff. "Being a slayer runs in my family. Lorinda is a family name."

"I know," Jeff said.

Lorinda opened her mouth and closed it again before getting anything out. "What? You—"

"I know," Jeff repeated. "It was all in your file. The Old Council was even tracking you for a while, though they got taken out before they could do anything about it. When we first brought you in, Giles had a meeting with everyone to decide how to handle it. Four slayers in one bloodline, it’s…it’s pretty remarkable."

"Do they…" Lorinda hesitated. "Do they know why?"

"No," Jeff replied. "No. My theory is that it’s some kind of karmic destiny. And the fact that we now find out that you’ve ended up in the very same place where she…ended up, well, that only supports it."

"Then my karmic destiny sucks," Lorinda stated flatly.

Jeff cracked a smile. "And we’re surprised by this?"

Fade In:Ext.Woods Near Watchers Council – Night

Two women cloaked in heavy robes sat in a snow-cleared circle. They faced each other as they held hands, and both had their eyes closed. Barren trees surrounded them, and a small fire provided light, but with minimal warmth.

A slight breeze ruffled the redhead’s short hair, and a surge of power seemed to run through the circle. Between the women, the cold dirt stirred, and a small green thread appeared from the ground. The tendril began to twist and expand, and after a few moments it had unfurled to reveal a beautiful green orchid, which seemed so out of place in this stark winter environment. The women opened their eyes almost simultaneously, and both smiled at the flower.

"Paphiopedilum javanicum," Willow announced. "Thought extinct until it was recently rediscovered at a small resort in Java."

"It’s beautiful," Althenea said. "Why did you choose this particular orchid?"

Willow thought a moment and then said, "I think because its chances of surviving are not so good. There are efforts to turn the resort into a conservation park, but the mighty tourist dollar will probably win out."

The fragile plant seemed to shiver in the cold air. Already the edges of the leaves were developing a rim of frost.

"Plant and animal species go extinct every day," Althenea said. "It’s part of the natural order of life."

"I know," Willow said. "I just wish I could save them all."

"Why?" Althenea asked. "I mean, why you? There are covens all over the world that put their best efforts into saving endangered species, but even then many die. Why must you take on the responsibility of saving the world?"

Willow grimaced. "It’s my job," she said almost brutally. "Something I’ve been doing for the majority of my life. Chosen watcher here, remember?"

"Many different watchers and slayers and witches have saved the world many times, also," Althenea pointed out. "You’re not alone. You don’t have to take on the weight of the world."

"No, but what about the weight of my friends?" Willow asked. "I had an innocent tortured, and it didn’t change anything. It couldn’t save Vi."

"So if the situation presents itself again, do you think torture will work better next time?" Althenea asked.

"Of course not," Willow answered.

"Then what will you do next time?"

"I don’t know," Willow answered. "I-I really don’t…But this isn’t just about Marley. It’s about Skye too. I used her as an instrument of torture. How far back did that set her on her path of redemption?"

"You’re assuming that she even has any hopes for redemption," Althenea said.

"Dawn does," Willow pointed out.

"Dawn is not responsible for Skye’s redemption," Althenea said. "And neither are you. Only Skye is, just like only you are responsible for your own redemption."

"Well, I think that little incident shows I haven’t learned anything…torture for revenge or torture for information – it all comes down to the same result… nothing good."

Althenea was silent as they both watched the orchid continue to wither. "A few years ago, you used magic, and your computer skills, to erase a convicted murderer’s record. What have the consequences been?"

Willow thought a moment. "If I hadn’t, Faith would have gone back to jail…and the world might have been lost. Robin would have lost his mate and I…I would have missed finding her friendship."

"But some would say justice wasn’t served," Althenea argued. "You cheated society out of its right to punish Faith for her crimes."

"Society might not be here if Faith was incarcerated," Willow scoffed.

"Perhaps…perhaps not," Althenea said. "But still you used magic to alter the ‘natural’ order of things. Why did you use a vampire to torture the slayer? Why didn’t you just do it yourself? You could have easily done it with magic, and like you said, it’s not like you had no experience at it."

Willow winced at Althenea’s harsh tone. "I…I was afraid."

"Of what?"

"That I’d lose control again," Willow admitted in a whisper. "All I could see in my mind was Marly’s face stripped of its skin. I just couldn’t take that chance."

"So you used a vampire to extract the information you needed," Althenea pressed. "Why?"

"Because…" Willow started. "Because Ro’s life was in danger. And so were Faith’s and Vi’s, and gods help me, even Heli’s. I did…"

"What?"

"I did what I had to," she whispered.

"You did what you had to," Althenea repeated. "The choices we make are never easy, Willow. You used magic to solve one situation because you felt the good would outweigh the bad, and perhaps that was a good call. There’s no mistake that Faith does good and has continued to do good. On the other hand, you didn’t use magic to solve another because you felt the bad would outweigh the good. I’m not condoning what you did, but I’m not going to judge you either. You’re the one who has to live with the consequences of the choices you make, and it won’t be easy for you."

"So the coven isn’t going to strip me of my position as high priestess?" Willow asked in a small voice.

"No," Althenea replied. "You’re on your own, Willow. For better or worse."

"I don’t know if that’s best," Willow said. "I’m not sure you can trust me…heck, I don’t even trust myself."

"You have to learn to trust yourself, and you do that with knowledge. Examining where you are and where you’ve been. You’ll always be in a state of learning, and that’s not a defect in your character as a person. Even people who hold PhD’s continue to learn, every day of their lives. We all do…even me," Althenea said with a slight grin.

"Then what’s the answer?" Willow asked.

"I’d advise you to keep doing exercises like this one." Althenea indicated the now brown and dead orchid. "Stay connected to the Earth…to the Mother. Rely on Andrew to support you – he’s turning into a fine high priest. You don’t have to take everything on yourself. And talk to Rowena more…she loves you so much, Willow, and she’s there for you. I worked very hard to get the two of you together…I don’t want you to mess that up just because you’re wallowing in your own self-pity."

Willow let out a half-sob, half-laugh as she wiped her eyes. She leaned forward and hugged the dark-haired woman. "I will…I promise," she whispered.

"And when all else fails, when the people of this world let you down – and they will, intentional or not – put your faith in the goddesses and gods to see you through. That’s what it means to be faithful in our religion. The goddess will lead you on the path you need to be."

"I’m having trouble believing that. We shape our own destinies."

"No, we make our own choices. And sometimes things that seem terrible, like Tara’s death, can hold some positive purpose in the grand picture of life. It’s just not obvious to us at first what the goddess has planned for us. But it’s the choices we make after these heartbreaking things happen that determine just how painful, or destructive, the event ends up being."

"Sorry, but I’m having trouble seeing the good side in Tara not being here."

"If you could trade Rowena for Tara, would you?"

Willow’s face contorted in shock and disgust. "How can you even ask me that?"

"Why can’t you answer?" Althenea responded.

Willow was speechless for a moment. "Oh goddess, how can you…?"

"That’s a good start," Althenea replied. Willow appeared confused. "Look to the goddess," she continued, "if you can’t answer something, if you’re not sure what to make of what’s going on, then listen to what the goddess is telling you in your head. Right this second what is she saying in your mind? Go!"

"Right now she’s saying you’re morbid," Willow replied.

"No, that’s you talking. What’s the goddess saying, Willow? Concentrate."

Willow closed her eyes for a moment. "No," she replied. "I wouldn’t trade Rowena for Tara if I could because…I love Rowena and…Tara’s death wasn’t senseless…It had a purpose…Oh goddess, it had a purpose."

"And what purpose is that?"

Willow spoke slowly. "If Tara had lived and I had stayed away from magic…the scythe spell might never have happened. The world might have been lost without those girls who fought beside Buffy…Tara’s death did change the world."

"And so did your choices too," Althenea reminded her. "Your actions after her death, your trip with Mr. Giles to England…meeting me…and eventually Rowena…The choice you made to put your fear aside and do as Buffy asked. All of these were choices you made – not all of them positive, but not all of them bad either."

"I-I never thought of it that way before," Willow confessed.

"So getting back to recent events," Althenea replied. "The choice you made, to torture Marley…again, I’m not the one to judge. But the goddess inside me says it led you here," Althenea said, motioning between them and then around them. "Perhaps this had to happen to put you back on a path that magic is more than what you do but who you are. Maybe you’ve been losing touch with that. Then again maybe all this happened to put you on a path that neither of us can quite see at this point. I don’t have the answers to that, Willow, but maybe someday you’ll see that Marley’s last hours also happened for a reason greater than just the two of us sitting here."

"So listen to the goddess more, eh?" Willow said, near tears.

Althenea let out a slight chuckle. "Eh?" she mimicked. "Rowena’s rubbing off on you, I see."

Willow grinned and just looked at Althenea for a moment. "Thank you, Al."

"You’re welcome," she replied and let Willow go. "Now come on. Let’s get back inside…my bum is starting to freeze and yours must be numb by now."

Willow smiled.

Cut To:

Ext.

Ypsilanti, Michigan – Outside Armbrister Residence – Same Time

Snowflakes flew daintily around the bundled-up figures of Rowena and Faith as they trudged through heaps of those flakes that had already reached the ground. A pristine white blanket surrounded them on all sides, interrupted by the occasional tall, black, scraggly tree. The two women were making their way up the walk to a small, low ranch house, its white paint job blending in with the surrounding snow.

"It is kinda pretty," Rowena said. "Reminds me of where I grew up."

"Tell me we’re not back out here again because you want to stroll down memory lane?"

"Nooo," Rowena answered. "Mrs. Armbrister might have remembered something more that matches the descriptions Giles got from the sheriff. I’m just…enjoying the scenery. I think it’s rather beautiful. Is that so wrong?"

"No, ’cept this postcard has a hell-beastie hiding somewhere in the middle," Faith replied. The two women had reached the front steps of the house. Faith rapped noisily on the screen door and shivered a little as she and Rowena waited.

Rowena was still looking around at the scenery. "Hard to believe sometimes, our lives the way they are, that there’re still places like this. You can’t tell if it’s 1930 or 2006."

A slightly portly woman in her forties, brown hair spilling down her back, opened the inner door.

"Hello again, Mrs. Armbrister," Rowena said as the woman door opened. The woman blinked twice, then raised the cell phone she had been holding in her hand and took a snapshot of the two women standing on her doorstep.

Faith sighed. "Definitely 2006."

"Still trying to get a shot of the creature, I see," Rowena told the woman.

"No, that one’s for me to keep. I didn’t get one before and we don’t see many celebrities out here." Faith sighed and gave Rowena an annoyed look. "Come in," the woman said, waving them inside.

Cut To:

Int.

Armbrister Residence – Moments Later

Faith and Rowena were seated at the Armbristers’ kitchen table across from Mr. Armbrister, a large man in a plaid shirt with a well-worn face. Quilted patterns hung on the walls, and the tablecloth was checked white and blue. Mrs. Armbrister set oversized mugs of hot chocolate in front of each of the women. Faith visibly relaxed just at the sight of the drink.

"You girls must be freezing," Mrs. Armbrister said, all motherly concern.

"It’s all right," Rowena assured her. "I grew up in Nova Scotia and Faith in Boston. We’re used to bad weather."

"Sheriff Preston told us that he had contacted the Watchers Council," Mr. Armbrister said, "but we had no idea that they would send the two of you." Faith and Rowena shot each other a look over their steaming mugs.

"Honestly," Faith told them, "this is fun for us. Back to the old days, pounding the streets. Not having a reporter follow my every step. It’s not bad being here."

Rowena nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, I love my work, but I think we all start to get cabin fever around this time of year. The media camped on the front lawn 24/7 doesn’t help, of course, as Faith said." She took a sip from her hot chocolate. "So hopefully you’ll understand if we get straight to business."

"Oh, yes, of course," Mr. Armbrister said. "I suppose you want to talk about Baxter again."

"Baxter?" Faith asked, confused.

"Remember, Baxter was our dog. He disappeared a while back," Mrs. Armbrister explained, lovingly placing a hand over the top of her husband’s.

"Sorry," Faith said. "I forgot his name."

"Has either of you seen the creature in the last day?" Rowena asked. "Two deputies say they saw it yesterday, not far from here."

"Maybe," Mrs. Armbrister said. "I don’t mind telling you, I’ve been a little leery around those woods and maybe it’s just my mind playing tricks but…it was this big, hairy, black thing."

But Mr. Armbrister was shaking his head. "I haven’t seen it since we brought the Christmas tree in, but it wasn’t black to me. It looked long and brown, with these rolls of skin hanging off of it."

Faith sighed. "You know you just totally contradicted each other, right?"

Cut To:

Int.

Greek Church – Guest Room – Day

Lorinda was hunched over her bed, studying a map of the ruins spread out across it. She looked up when Jeff walked through the door, his arms full of various supplies.

"Where’ve you been?" Lorinda asked testily. "I’ve been looking over these ruins, and I think I might’ve found a few spots where a vamp could hide."

Jeff spread several objects out across his own bed. "You’re not ready to face the thing in the ruins, whatever it is." Without looking up, he began to pour ingredients into a bowl.

Lorinda scoffed and moved across the room towards Jeff. "I’m ready," she insisted. "I’ve been doing really well in training. I even beat the crap of out Shannie the other day when we were sparring. She looked like she was gonna cry, the little—"

Jeff turned to Lorinda and reached a hand towards her. "Vincire," he said, and a kind of green energy flowed from his hand and wrapped itself snugly around Lorinda’s arms and torso.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Lorinda squirmed, but found herself unable to move. Slowly, she began to drift off her feet, floating helplessly upwards into the beam of late afternoon light emanating from the guest room’s lone window. "What is this?"

Jeff looked up at her. "You’re hiding things from me. Important things, and so much of your strength is tied up in the hiding that it’s taking away from your duties as a slayer." As he spoke, he turned back to his bowl and began to mix some ingredients together.

"No, I’m not!" Lorinda yelled, but Jeff kept his back turned. After a moment of watching him, Lorinda’s voice got quieter. "What are you doing now?"

"I’m casting a truth spell," Jeff said. "You’ve been my slayer for over a year. If you haven’t told me your secrets by this point, you’re not going to…not willingly, anyway."

"You’re going to magically force me to tell the truth?" Lorinda was shouting again by the end of the sentence. "You bastard! You know how Rosenberg feels about screwing with people’s minds. When we get back, you are going to be in so much—"

"Willow approved the spell," Jeff told her.

That shut Lorinda up momentarily. Then she said, "Will it hurt?"

Jeff sighed. "Unfortunately, yes." He turned to Lorinda holding the bowl, which was now filled with a sludgy gray substance.

Lorinda’s squirming kicked up a notch, but it was to no avail. She was held fast. "Okay, okay!" she screamed suddenly. Jeff stopped in his tracks, looking up at her expectantly.

When she spoke next, Lorinda’s words came out in a rush. "Last year when Shannie…Shannon Matthewson lost her baseball card, it wasn’t Ethan Rayne. It was me. I took it, and I destroyed it." She looked down and saw Jeff take another step forward. "Dammit! Ever since Hope came to Cleveland I’ve been talking to her, trying to convince her that you don’t love her or that she doesn’t belong at the Council. I know that maybe you really do love her, but I did it anyway."

Jeff took this in. Then he took another step forward. Lorinda was panicking now, tears forming in her eyes. "When I told you that my brother and I were playing when I hit him, I lied. He yelled at me because I got angry with my horse and I pulled the bridle so hard that it was bleeding, so I knocked him out. When I was twelve, my mother told me that I wasn’t getting a birthday party, and I ended up breaking her arm. The other day when I beat Shannon, we were just sparring, but I sucker-punched her in the kidney, and then I punched her three more times when she was down. I’m not a good person, and I never—"

Lorinda’s stream-of-consciousness confession finally faltered. "Just do it. Do the spell and get it over with."

Jeff’s facial expression didn’t change as he gazed up at his slayer. "There is no spell."

Lorinda froze, though she was pretty much frozen already. "What?"

Jeff held up the bowl. "This is instant oatmeal." He dipped in a fingertip and then licked it clean, making a sour face as he did so. "Really bad instant oatmeal." He looked back up at Lorinda. "After my mother was killed, I fantasized about joining the Presidium. At least then I wouldn’t have been the one hurting anymore."

Lorinda was still trying to catch her breath. "Why are you telling me this?"

"It’s a trade," Jeff told her. "Secrets for secrets. That’s how this works. Dissoluto." He waved his hand, and the energy holding Lorinda dissipated. She dropped to the floor and immediately fell to her knees. Jeff walked over and gently lifted Lorinda’s chin until her eyes were looking into his. "You’re my slayer, Lorinda, and I’m your watcher. Our bond is sacred. I can help you, but only if you let me."

"You…you won’t tell anyone, will you?" Lorinda asked.

Jeff smiled. "I dunno, it will make such good gossip…" Lorinda’s eyes widened, but Jeff shook his head. "Sacred bond, remember? I won’t tell anyone."

Cut To:

Ext.

Outside Armbrister Residence – Later

"Thank you for the hot chocolate," Rowena said as she closed the screen door behind her. She and Faith were bundled up again and had just exited the Armbristers’ home.

"Oh, you’re welcome dear," Mrs. Armbrister said through the screen. "Just remember, if you invite us to the wedding, make sure to let us know early. We’re thinking of going on a cruise over the summer."

Rowena stood dumbfounded as the woman closed the inner door.

"Well, they were nice," Faith grinned, steam issuing from her mouth as she spoke. Rowena just scowled at her. "So, what now? "

"We talk to other neighbors," Rowena said. "See if we can come up with anything consistent."

Cut To:

Int.

Neighbor’s House – Living Room – Later

"It was like the most horrible growling thing," a bearded man told Rowena and Faith. "I can still remember the way it was foaming at the mouth."

Cut To:

Ext.

Outside Second Neighbor’s House – Later

"I don’t have to deal with you people," spat a crinkled old woman. Then she slammed her front door in Faith and Rowena’s faces.

Cut To:

Int.

Third Neighbor’s House – Dining Room – Later

"It had the most evil glowing red eyes," a harried mother told Rowena and Faith, while balancing a four-year-old on her knee.

Cut To:

Int.

Fourth Neighbor’s House – Den – Later

"It was the eyes I remember most," an elderly man told them. "They were like black pools. They were completely dead, like there was nothing there."

Cut To:

Ext.

Outside Fourth Neighbor’s House – Moments Later

"Thank you," Rowena called, as the old man closed his door behind her.

"Whaddaya think?" Faith asked. "Some kind of changeling? I’m not big on changelings."

"I doubt it," Rowena told her. "Anyway, right now we meet back up with the guys, compare notes."

"Think they’ll find out anything different?"

"No," Rowena sighed. "But maybe we’ll get lucky and someone has a picture of it."

Cut To:

Int.

Greek Church – Guest Room – Night

Lorinda cracked an eye open in the dark. She shifted position in her bed to look over at Jeff. He appeared to be sleeping. Lorinda crept out of bed and slid a bag out from under her bed. She opened it to reveal her stash of weapons.

Cut To:

Ext.

Ruins of Lamios – Later

Lorinda padded up the mountain of Lamios, through a forest of ancient columns. Some lay on their sides. Some were broken but still standing, sentinels against the starry night.

"If I was a vamp, where would I hide?" she said under her breath. Then Lorinda spotted a cave in the mountainside, its square entrance suggesting that human hands had cut it. She fished a flashlight out of her bag, switched it on, and then headed straight for the mouth of the cave.

Cut To:

Int.

Greek Church – Same Time

The old priest stood in his bathrobe in the doorway of his quarters, shaking his head.

"So you haven’t seen her?" Jeff asked. He began to sound his words out very slowly. "Have…you…seen…the…girl?

The priest looked very tired.

Cut To:

Int.

Cave at Ruins of Lamios – Moments Later

Lorinda was now fairly deep into the cave, her flashlight the only source of illumination. Her eyes grew very wide when she directed her light towards the walls of the cave. They were completely covered in elaborate paintings, murals, and carvings. Red blood was spattered everywhere, and there was a preponderance of young girls bearing weapons.

She stopped to run her hand across one particular carving that showed a girl with a sword sticking through her abdomen, just as had happened to her in her dream.

A small smile crossed her face. "Huh. I had a slayer dream. Bet Shannon doesn’t get slayer dreams."

Then she moved her flashlight on to a section of the painting that depicted a shadowy figure fighting with a shield and sword against a woman. Lorinda’s mouth dropped open when she recognized the woman’s face.

"Gabrielle?"

Fade Out.

End of Act Two

Act Three

 

Fade In:

Int.

Cave at Ruins of Lamios – Resume

Lorinda’s eyes were still fixed on the image of Gabrielle fighting the shadowy figure when she heard the sound of gravel shifting behind her. She turned her head slightly but saw nothing. When she turned to walk deeper underground, she physically ran into a cloaked figure, making her jump.

He grabbed her by the upper arm and in doing so caused his hood to fall back, revealing a vampire unlike anything Lorinda had ever seen. His ridges were deeper than most she’d seen, and his fangs seemed to cover his entire mouth, not just his eyeteeth.

"I am Lamios," he told her.

Unable to form a response, Lorinda simply whimpered.

With a growl he tossed her deeper into the cave. As she fell, she lost her flashlight but quickly scrabbled to hold it again.

"The time has come," he told her.

"Wwwwhat time?" Lorinda asked.

"You are a slayer, are you not?" he asked as he menaced forward.

"Yeah, bbbbut…"

"Then, it is time to once again fulfill the pact I made with the Slayer Gavrill. I am the test."

Lorinda looked clueless to what he was talking about, but as he charged forward, she dropped the flashlight and tried to strike him. He stopped her fist with ease before she could connect.

Taking her by the lapel with one hand, he grabbed her and tossed her even further into the cave.

Cut To:

Int.

Kennedy’s Apartment – Night

Kadin nuzzled her head against Kennedy’s shoulder. "Why do they call it a bowl game?" she asked.

Kennedy was still watching the football players running across her television screen. She and Kadin were draped across the couch, hands lazily intertwined. Outside the window, snowflakes danced against the night sky.

"Dunno," Kennedy replied. "It’s a tradition, I guess. Maybe because the trophy used to be shaped like a bowl?" She sat forward a little, jostling Kadin slightly. "C’mon," Kennedy cajoled the television, raising her voice a little, "that’s pass interference!" She turned to Kadin for support. "Did you see that? They’re letting them get away with murder out there."

Kadin smiled indulgently and gently pulled Kennedy back down onto the couch. "Wouldn’t want that," she said softly.

Kennedy put an arm around Kadin. "Thanks for watching football with me. I know it’s not your favoritest thing."

"Hey, any Kennedy time is good time," Kadin assured her. "Anyway, ‘tis the season, and all th—"

She was interrupted by the buzzing sound of an alarm from the hallway. Kennedy jumped to her feet.

Kadin looked up at her girlfriend, worry in her eyes. "What’s that?"

"Front Desk security," Kennedy said. "I should probably—"

Kadin once again grasped Kennedy’s hand. "Hey, this was ‘us time,’ remember? Let Mia handle this one."

Kennedy grimaced. "Sorry, but I’m the top girl on duty. I have to go. For all I know it could be…" She trailed off, but she didn’t need to finish. Kadin’s face had already set into a frown.

"Fine, go." Kadin crossed her arms and stared at the huddled college football players.

Kennedy took one last sad look at her girlfriend, then turned and left the apartment.

Cut To:

Int.

Cave at Ruins of Lamios – Soon After

"Lorinda!"

The young girl looked toward the front of the ruins. "Jeff!" she screamed.

"Ignitous," Jeff said, and the cave lit up immediately.

Jeff saw Lamios towering over Lorinda and sent a lightning bolt in his direction.

The demon turned as if nothing more than annoyed by the jolt. Instead of facing Lorinda, he turned his attention to Jeff.

"I see the watcher has arrived," Lamios taunted.

He walked rather casually toward Jeff, who was rearing back his arm.

"Encase!" he shouted as he tossed a ring-like beam of light toward Lamios.

The demons simply swatted it away and moved closer.

Lorinda, still shaking, got to her feet.

"Stay down," Jeff told her as he produced a pistol from his back and began to fire.

Lamios’s body shook from the impact of the bullets, but it did nothing to stop him. As Jeff emptied the chamber, Lamios laughed.

"Silly boy," he chuckled. When Lamios grabbed Jeff by both arms, Lorinda’s look of fear changed into one of determination. She charged up behind Lamios and leapt up to grab him by the neck.

Lamios began to chuckle again and simply tossed Jeff before hoisting Lorinda over his head and to the ground in front of him.

"Leave her alone!" Jeff shouted, making the demon turn in his direction.

Lorinda scampered to the corner and reached for her leg as Lamios began to move toward Jeff.

"Oh, crap," Jeff sighed.

"That’s it, prune face," Lorinda taunted Lamios. He stopped and turned toward her as she still lay on the ground. "You’re a vamp. Vamps fight slayers. Slayers kill vamps. Right?"

"They can try," Lamios replied.

"Then come down here and pick on someone your own size," Lorinda taunted as she struggled to get to her feet.

"You look like a scared little girl to me," Lamios replied as he leaned over to reach for her.

Taking the opportunity of his closeness, Lorinda shoved the collapsible wooden stiletto into his heart and shot up to a standing position.

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Lobby – Moments Later

By the time Kennedy stepped out of the elevator and into the front lobby, the situation seemed well in hand. The receptionist, a prim African-American woman in her thirties, stood calmly behind the desk while Casey and Kat restrained a young woman.

The woman’s long black hair flew around her face as she futilely struggled to free herself, and every time her shoes scuffed across the floor, they left wet tracks of snow. The receptionist noticed Kennedy’s entrance and walked over, all the while keeping her distance from the restrained woman.

"Glad that you’re here," she said.

"What’s up?" Kennedy asked.

"Girl comes in, asks for Miss Lehane," the receptionist said. "I told her that Miss Lehane was unavailable. She became verbally abusive."

"You lose a step?" Kat asked her prisoner. "I don’t remember beating you so easy…" Kennedy spared a glance at the woman, but still didn’t quite register who it was.

"She gave me her name," the receptionist continued, "and when I looked her up in the database, she came up on the Watch List."

One of Kennedy’s eyebrows shot up. She strode over to the two slayers and the prisoner they were easily holding. Once she got a good look, her other eyebrow went up as high as the first.

Marissa looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Her unkempt hair hung in front of her tired, desperate eyes. She calmed down long enough to raise those eyes to the same level as Kennedy’s.

"I have to admit," Kennedy said, "I didn’t think Bureau Nine was dumb enough to try the same trick twice."

"They don’t know I’m here," Marissa said. Her voice was soft and raspy.

Casey and Kat both looked at Kennedy for a moment. "Okay, so it wasn’t quite the same trick," she admitted, "but that doesn’t make them any less dumb. How did you even get here in this weather?"

"I walked," Marissa replied. "It’s, um…it’s pretty cold."

Kennedy’s eyes tracked the line of snowy footprints all the way to the front door of the building. Her expression changed from one of petulance to one of confusion. She nodded to the two other girls, and they released Marissa’s arms.

"Marissa," Kennedy asked, "what the hell are you doing here?"

It was at about that moment that Willow emerged from the elevator, Althenea in tow.

"Hey, guys!" Willow began. "What’s going on? More parents? Boy, even the snow doesn’t—"

That was as far as she got, because as soon as Willow got close to her, Marissa grabbed her by both of her shoulders. "Please," Marissa said plaintively, "you have to help me."

Casey and Kat rushed to pull the woman off Willow, but an almost undetectable headshake from the redhead made them hold back. Willow had gone completely stiff when Marissa touched her, but her eyes let everyone know she was in control of the situation.

"Marissa," Willow began, the word slow and deliberate.

Marissa collapsed onto Willow, sliding down her body until she was on her knees, arms wrapped around Willow’s torso and face half-buried in Willow’s shirt.

"You have to help me." This time the words came out in a long sob, like all the desperation and pain in Marissa’s eyes was being let out. "I know I’ve screwed things up, but you have to help me." She shut her eyes tight against the tears, but couldn’t prevent another loud sob from escaping her lips. Willow still hadn’t even flinched. Everyone else was stunned into inaction.

"Willow," Althenea asked, "who is this woman?"

"She’s a slayer I used to know," Willow told her.

"Not anymore!" Marissa cried, her voice muffled by Willow’s shirt.

"What was that?" Willow asked, moving for the first time to look down at Marissa.

Marissa looked back up at Willow, her eyes glistening, pure anguish in her voice. "I’m not a slayer anymore."

Willow’s and Kennedy’s eyes met, but neither could find any answers in the other, only more questions.

Cut To:

Int.

Cave at Ruins of Lamios – Same Time

"Yes!" Jeff cheered as he watched Lamios stumble backward, Lorinda’s wooden stake embedded in his chest.

"Thank you, Xander Harris," Lorinda mumbled in appreciation.

The looks of joy on Jeff’s and Lorinda’s faces began to fall as quickly as they came. They watched as the vampire casually pulled the wooden stiletto out and tossed it back to Lorinda.

"Oh, no," Jeff muttered next, making Lamios laugh heartily.

"Damn it, Harris," Lorinda whispered.

"You two are quite the pair," Lamios said. "But I am satisfied. Your test is complete," he told Lorinda. "A test for both of you, I should say," he replied.

"Okay, again, what test?" Lorinda asked, annoyed.

"I’ve been here many years, centuries even. Faced many slayers, even a few teams such as yours," he explained. "In fact, the test is truly the only reason I wake anymore. The need for blood is next to nothing now. You could say I’ve evolved beyond my hunger." He grabbed Lorinda by the arm and sank his fangs into it. She yelled and tried to escape as Jeff rushed forward. But before Jeff could get more than a few feet, Lamios pushed Lorinda away and licked his lips. "Nothing quite like slayer blood, which should do me until the next century."

"For the third time," Lorinda said, holding her arm. "What test?"

"A test of courage. I faced many slayers but one, Slayer Gavrill, was the first one to survive a battle. The first slayer to live beyond her slayer powers."

"Gabrielle," Jeff muttered to himself.

"In truth," Lamios continued, "she spared me but on one condition: that I be the test that slayers in doubt of their calling, of their very lives, would come to face. They are sent to me by prophecy or by dreams. In any event, they come. We battle. But I never kill."

"Well, there’s a tombstone in town that says different," Lorinda replied. "It’s got my name on it, well not my name but the name of someone in my family."

"Lorinda Covington," he said.

"Yes, you big fat liar," she started.

"I did not deliver the deathblow. She came here because she was called. Once she defeated me, she returned to town. What happened after that I cannot say, but if I were to guess…she was named a heretic. The townspeople probably killed her. But as for me doing the deed, no."

"So what do you do? Fight slayers forever here?" Jeff asked. "If you don’t kill slayers and they don’t kill you, then it seems like an endless loop."

"Some battles have lasted days. Others only a few minutes, such as this battle. So if they deliver a deathblow, such as Lorinda did a moment ago, I concede. More times than not, in the last few centuries, they run. So as I said, you passed, both of you. You stood by each other and used all you had to help, not just yourselves, but each other. That’s to be commended, but there is still much fear within you…particularly you," he said to Lorinda.

"Hey, I’m not chicken," Lorinda replied.

"A chicken, no. But you are scared about a great many things," he told her. "You have answers you still need to find that I cannot help you with." Lorinda looked away. "Go now," he told them. "No more answers will you find here."

Jeff looked to Lorinda, who looked back at him. Slowly, Jeff waved her toward him.

Cut To:

Int.

Ypsilanti, Michigan – Denny’s – Late Afternoon

Faith’s breath left a smudge on the cold window. Then she placed her hand on the smudge and left a perfect hand-print on the glass. She settled back into her seat next to Rowena in the corner booth and picked up her plastic-covered menu.

The four representatives of the Watchers Council were almost the only customers in the local Denny’s. Faith’s gaze drifted over to a teenage couple at a nearby table who were whispering quietly to each other, with occasional glances over in Faith’s direction.

"These are all conflicting reports," Rowena said, shifting through the papers in front of her. "I have to say, I’m not sure what else to do."

"I could try to call the hell hound," Andrew suggested. "That’d at least bring it out into the open so that we could see it, right?"

"If we don’t know the species, I doubt that plan will be successful," Giles said. "I haven’t any other ideas, however."

"Simple, then," Faith said. "Andy and I head into the woods. He takes his pan-flute thingy or whatever. I take something sharp and pointy. We brought headsets, didn’t we?"

"Yeah, they’re in the van," Andrew confirmed.

"Then we break ’em out," Faith said, "stay wired, go in with our heads up."

"I don’t like the idea of you going in blind," Rowena said. "I need you to promise me this mission is going to be recon only, no going off half-cocked."

Cut To:

Ext.

Michigan – Woods Near Ford Lake – Evening

Voiceover, Faith: "I promise."

It was night, but the forest was lit with a bright, ghostly light, the moon reflecting off the snow. Faith stepped carefully over a fallen branch, then Andrew behind her. Their footsteps were the only noises.

"We’re five clicks east of your position," Andrew said into his headset. "Still no sign of the target."

"Do you even know what a click is, Andrew?" came Rowena’s reply.

"Not…not exactly, but they—"

"Shhhhh." Faith placed a finger to her lips for quiet. Snowflakes continued to fall silently between the thin, empty branches of the trees. There was now nearly a foot of snow on the ground. Andrew watched cross-eyed as a flake settled softly on his own nose.

Faith took a few steps forward and knelt down in the snow.

"Footprints," she said, examining a series of depressions in the snow. "Recent." She stood, a large axe clutched in her left hand. "Very recent, or else the show would’ve covered ’em up.

"You want me to try the flute again?" Andrew asked. "I know last time was a big zero, but I’m thinking that maybe—"

"No," Faith said. "All we gotta do is play follow the leader." She stepped quickly forward through the snow, sending little clouds flying as Andrew tried to follow in her wake. "Stay behind me."

"Roger, alpha leader," Andrew whispered. "We’ve got a niner on this bogie, and we’re going in."

Cut To:

Ext.

Michigan – Woods Near Ford Lake – Later

"How big is this place?" Andrew asked, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath as he and Faith crested a small rise.

"Heck, if I know, Andrew," Faith said.

"Oh," Andrew replied, straightening up. "Right."

The pair made their way down from the ridge, still following the tracks, though they were becoming less distinct as snow continued to fall. After a short distance, the tracks disappeared.

"Where’d it go?" Andrew asked. "Is there a breed of hell hound that can turn invisible?"

"No," Giles and Rowena both said over the headset.

Faith shot him a look. "Probably just doubled back and worked its way around…" Faith turned around and looked back up at the small ridge. "Behind us."

Silhouetted against the gray, snowy sky was a very large, broad-chested canine figure, standing about three feet tall. It growled, teeth glistening in the veiled moonlight. White foam had collected around the corners of its mouth.

With a great leap, the creature lunged at Andrew just as he turned around, batting him easily to the side. Andrew struck his head against the trunk of a nearby tree and fell motionless to the ground.

"Andy!" Faith yelled, grabbing the attacker around the hindquarters and pulling. Faith slammed down into the snow, the creature on top of her. A large white cloud rose up around the struggling pair as Faith desperately tried to hold the beast’s black, foamy maw away from her throat.

Cut To:

Ext.

Wood Thicket – Same Time

Red eyes watched this struggle from between two nearby trees. They belonged to a black, furry creature, crouched on the ground like a human on all fours. The lean, mean creature possessed a lithe body and bushy tail. It was about to launch itself into the fray when something grabbed it from behind and pulled it away from Faith and her attacker.

"Oh, no you don’t," a voice said as the creature growled and hissed as its body was dragged backward.

Masculine hands took a firmer hold and lifted the creature and threw it into a tree trunk with a dull thud. Snow shook down around from the branches above. The man shook the snow from his head and then rose up to reveal Angel. He stood poised, waiting for the hell hound to attack again. He wore a long black coat that drifted silently above the new-fallen snow, and his square jaw was set in resolution.

Its legs acting as springs, the hell hound attacked again.

Cut To:

Int.

Small Clearing – Continuous

Faith was still in the small clearing struggling to hold off her own monster, its jaws snapping inches from her face. Rowena was shouting into her ear. "Faith! Faith, what’s happening? Faith!" Then, a pause. "Andrew? Somebody answer us!"

Cut To:

Ext.

Wood Thicket – Continuous

Angel punched the hell hound in the face, sending it skidding away, leaving a deep trough in the snow. It regained its footing and charged again, almost hopping with each stride.

"C’mon," Angel growled, his vampire face now in full effect.

Cut To:

Int.

Small Clearing – Continuous

Faith managed to get some leverage with her legs and kicked off her attacker enough to allow her to roll away through the snow and spring to her feet. When the creature growled once again and rumbled toward her, loose skin flapping in the wind, Faith turned and ran a step or so up the trunk of the nearest tree, executing a complete flip and landing directly on the creature’s back.

Cut To:

Ext.

Wood Thicket – Continuous

Angel held the hell hound down with one of his feet, ignoring its claws scratching at his leg, ankle, and knee. He picked up his other foot and planted it squarely down on the head of the creature. There was an audible crack, and the red glow of the hell hound’s eyes faded.

Cut To:

Int.

Small Clearing – Continuous

Meanwhile, Faith was lying face-forward on her creature’s back, arms wrapped around its thick neck as it tried to buck her off. With a grunt, she tried to twist the monster’s neck, but her hands slipped in the cold. Before she could regain her grip, she was half-hanging off the thing’s shoulders, snow flying into her eyes. Faith scrambled to regain her balance and managed to right herself. Hanging on with her legs, she circled her hands around the creature’s neck. With a sudden jerk with her upper arms and shoulder, she made something snap, and the creature collapsed to the ground.

Faith rolled off the dead creature and lay on her back for several seconds, staring up at the night sky, her breath coming in short gasps. She blinked as the falling snowflakes fell in her eye. Slowly, she got to her feet.

"Faith!" she heard Rowena yell. "Are you there?"

Faith put a hand to her ear. "Yeah, I’m here," she said into her headset. "I’m fine." She glanced over at where Andrew was slowly sitting up, a hand on his head. He groaned softly. "I think Andy will be, too. The thing’s dead."

"Dead?" Rowena asked. "Faith, you told me that…" But Faith had already removed her headset.

She walked over to examine the thing she had just killed. She could now see that it was just a normal dog, if somewhat oversized. It’s fur was short, a light shade of brown except for a dark patch around the snout.

"A mastiff?" Faith asked quietly. She let out a long, visible breath into the air. "Sorry, Baxter, it was you or me." With her right hand, she made the sign of the cross. Then she suddenly raised her eyes to the tree line, her head on a swivel.

"You hear something?" Andrew asked.

After a moment, Faith shook her head. "Nah, I guess not. Let’s get back before Blondie has an aneurysm."

Cut To:

Ext.

Wood Thicket – Continuous

From behind the nearby tree line, Angel watched the pair trudge up over the rise and disappear. He was now back to his human features.

"Got your back, Faith," he said softly. "Always."

Slowly, a small smile appeared on his face. He turned up the collar on his jacket and walked in the opposite direction.

Cut To:

Int.

Ypsilanti Hotel – Lobby – Night

"Does anyone else feel like they’ve been inside one of those snow globes and some four-year-old turned it upside down and was shaking really hard?" Faith asked, as the wind-blown Watchers Council crew trudged through the automatic double front doors of their hotel.

"I think we’re all rather thoroughly shaken," Giles said. "You gave us quite a scare back in the van."

"Well, excuse me for not being real good at fighting and talking at the same time." Faith noticed the wry smile Rowena was giving her. "What?"

"Could have fooled me," Rowena said. Faith just scowled.

"At least you stayed conscious," Andrew groused. "A lot of help I was."

Giles regally placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder. "My dear boy, you come from a long tradition of bystanders who are knocked out while slayers do the fighting. Embrace it."

"There’s the pilot." Rowena pointed at the man, who was waiting in a large cushy chair and reading a newspaper with the headline: "COUNCIL PUSHES AHEAD WITH JERUSALEM BRANCH DESPITE ISLAMIC PROTESTS." Her voice sounded very relieved. The group began to walk over to where the pilot was sitting. "I’ll be happy to get back to the Council, see Willow…"

"…get kissed," Faith teased.

Rowena scoffed. "Faith, I’m a professional. That’s not— Ready to go?" She addressed this last to the pilot standing before her with a tone of optimism and impatience. Faith grinned.

"Ms. Professional," the slayer muttered under her breath.

The pilot sighed and lowered his newspaper. "Unfortunately, no. What with the weather like it is, we can’t risk taking off. Or landing. Or the in-between part."

"The flying?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah, that," the pilot agreed. "So I booked us all here for two more nights, just in case."

"Two nights?!" they all asked.

The pilot nodded. "Yeah, they’ve closed Willow Run."

"Willow…What?" Rowena asked.

"Willow Run," the pilot replied. Everyone looked at each other. "The airport we landed at and where the plane is."

"Ohhh," everyone remarked in understanding.

"Well, we’ll just have to go back by car, right?" Rowena asked.

Faith shook her head. "You saw the roads, Ro. It’s like a skating rink. It’s not worth the risk. ‘Sides which, it’d take all night in these conditions, right?" she said, turning to the pilot.

"Try into tomorrow morning. Three hours by car tonight would probably equal thirteen hours now. Providing there’s no accidents and we’re not in one ourselves, that is."

Giles pulled off his glasses. "It would appear we are stuck here, at least for the time being."

Rowena made a slight pouty face. "But I was gonna get kissed. And who’s gonna kiss my sweetie?"

"I’m sure Al will help out with that," Faith said with a grin. The pout on Rowena’s face turned into a frown, and she walked away. "Hey, what’s the big deal?" Faith called out to her retreating form. "They’re just friends who had sex before. That’s all."

"Now really, Faith," Giles said as he went after Rowena.

"No kidding," Andrew said, following along behind Giles.

"Hey guys," Faith said as she watched them walk away. "It was just a joke," she added as she turned to the pilot.

He opened his newspaper again, scanning the articles as he said, "Funny, but no one’s laughing."

"Oh jeez," Faith mumbled as she did a light jog to catch up.

Cut To:

Int.

Ypsilanti Hotel – Hallway – Minutes Later

Rowena opened the door to Giles’s suite briskly.

"There you guys are," Faith said, walking inside.

Cut To:

Int.

Ypsilanti Hotel – Giles’s Suite – Continuous

"Look, I’m sorry, Ro. I was just teasin’. I didn’t know it was a sore spot—"

"It’s not," Rowena answered. "I trust Will, and I trust Al. I’m just…"

"Bummed you can’t be the one kissing your honey?"

"Yeah," Rowena replied. "And in some ways it feels like Jordon all over again." Faith quirked an eyebrow. "No, not that Will’s like Jordon. God no! Just not being there, as usual, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Faith trailed off and looked around the room. "This is Giles’s room? Why does he have a great room and we’ve got…?"

"Crap?"

"Yeah."

"He booked a suite."

"Damn," Faith said, taking it in. "Remind me to upgrade next time."

"Hey Faith," Andrew called her over. "Giles was just about to start his New Year story. Have a seat."

"So do you have a touching prison tale too, Giles?" Faith asked.

"Not exactly," he answered. "It’s more of an escape story actually."

Saturday, December 31st, 1977

Fade To:

Ext.

London – City Sidewalk – Night

Giles walked along the sidewalk, his head down. In his ripped blue jeans and worn leather coat, he made his way through the human traffic, raising his head only high enough to avoid anyone in front of him. In his hand was a brown paper bag.

He squinted his eyes as he looked up to the second story window of a flat above him, his eyes trying to avoid the light falling snow that also clung to his long hair. He stood for a moment and then made his way through a door next to the main entrance of what looked like a small private shop.

Cut To:

Int.

London – Hallway – Same Time

Giles climbed the stairs to a landing outside of a door. From the hallway he could hear Johnny Rotten singing ‘God Save the Queen’ on the radio. He paused before opening the door, running his fingers through his locks, trying to dry them. Squaring his shoulders, he opened the door and pushed through the doorway.

Cut To:

Int.

London Flat – Same Time

Turning to see who had entered, Ethan gave Giles a smile and closed the book he was looking at. 

"Bloody hell, mate. What took so long?" he said loudly to be heard over the music. He rose from a chair in the small, cramped living room and walked over, taking the brown sack Giles held. "I thought you got lost, Ripper."

"Where is everyone?" Giles asked.

"Diedre and Phillip went down to the corner market. Tom’s still at work, but he’ll be home before the party." Ethan made his way to the small kitchen attached to the living room.

Instead of following him, Giles went in the other direction and turned off the radio.

"Hey!" Ethan shouted over. "I was listening to that."

"We need to talk Ethan," Giles replied.

As if sensing the seriousness in Giles’s voice, he set the bag on the small table and walked back over.

"What’s wrong?" Ethan asked.

Giles released a sigh as he sat on the small, dingy sofa. "There’s really no way to say this, so I’m just going to say it. I’ve enrolled in the academy."

"Academy? What academy?"

"The Watchers Academy," Giles answered.

Ethan began to laugh so hard he doubled over. "Oh, that’s bloody rich, mate," he said. "You almost had me there for a moment."

He turned to walk away, but Giles’s voiced stopped him.

"I’m not kidding Ethan. I start in two weeks. The winter term."

Ethan’s smile instantly fell. "You’re serious?" Giles simply nodded. "Sodding hell! What brought this on?" Ethan asked, the shock evident in his voice.

Giles waved his hand around the tiny room. "I want more than this," he said.

"What more could you possibly need?" Ethan asked. "With magic we can have anything we want. We’re so close, you and I. Soon we’ll have the power to unlock secrets that—"

"Should be best kept secret," Giles replied. He paused for a moment. "A-and maybe I need…I need to find a life that doesn’t involve killing my friends."

"Oh, Ripper," Ethan replied as he walked over. "It was one spell gone awry. Randel knew the risks. We all did."

"Those aren’t risks I want to take any longer, which is why I joined the academy."

"So following in daddy’s footsteps after all, are we?" Ethan teased.

"It’s time," Giles replied.

Ethan scoffed. "Ripper," he sighed. "You’ll spend a few years there, just like you did at Oxford, and then leave when the pressure gets too great. You’ll need to cut loose sooner or later, so just save your time, and your youth, and forget it now."

"Why don’t you come with me?" Giles asked, avoiding Ethan’s speech. It almost sounded like a plea.

Ethan laughed again, "You are mad?"

"You have a gift, Ethan. A-and they have a coven there. You can still work magic. And it would be far better than…this…" Giles said, waving his hand around the room.

"And what exactly is wrong with this?" he asked as he mimicked him. "We have no rules here; we live on our own terms. You expect me to sit in some circle of witches, praying to Gaia, and doing the Council’s bidding?"

"It doesn’t have to be like that. In fact, you could probably join the Watchers program too a-and leave this chaos behind."

"But I love the chaos. So do you, Ripper. I think you’re forgetting that." Ethan gave him a slick grin.

Giles rose wordlessly from the sofa and walked back toward the bedroom. Ethan watched him go for a moment and then followed.

Cut To:

Int.

London Flat – Bedroom – Same Time

Ethan stopped in the doorway and watched as Giles began to open his dresser drawers.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Ethan asked as he worked his way inside and leaned against the interior wall.

"I think it’s best if I go," Giles replied as he continued to pack his belongings into a leather bag.

"Now? It’s New Year’s Eve," Ethan said, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

"It’s for the best. A new year, a new start. For both of us, actually."

"And just where are you going?" Ethan asked.

"I’m not sure," he replied. "The Council gave me an advance in pay. I’ll find somewhere."

Ethan began to chuckle again. "You’ve really lost it, mate."

Giles zipped the bag closed. "I’ll come for my albums and other things next week," he said as he brushed past Ethan.

This time Ethan didn’t pause. He followed Giles down the hall.

"So that’s it? You’re just walking away from everything, turning your back on the magic?" he asked.

Giles stopped as he opened the door. He turned back to Ethan.

"If you change your mind..."

"Not bloody likely," Ethan scoffed.

Giles hung his head briefly for a moment before raising it and meeting him squarely in the eye.

"Well then…Happy New Year, Ethan."

Giles carefully closed the door behind him, not looking back again.

Cut To:

Int.

London Hallway – Same Time

As Giles descended down the stairs, his bottom lip began to quiver slightly. Once at the landing he cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. He looked back up the stairs he had just traveled down. With a look of resolve taking shape on his face, he turned and walked out of the door to the sidewalk again.

Present Day

Cut To:

Int.

Ypsilanti Hotel – Giles’s Suite – Resume

"I saw Ethan once a few years later, but that night was the last time I actually spoke to him," Giles finished. "Except for when he came to the hellmouth to wreck havoc on Halloween, of course. And every time since then I should add."

"Wow," Andrew replied. "That’s…that’s kinda depressing actually. Giles, don’t you have a better story than that?"

"He said memorable and not happy, did he not?" Giles asked Rowena.

"That he did," Rowena agreed. "Sad, yes, but it sure qualifies as memorable in my book."

"Screw this, guys," Faith said, standing up. "It’s New Year’s Eve. Let’s celebrate instead of wallowing in yesteryear for cryin’ out loud."

"And what do you suggest, Faith?" Rowena asked. "Like you said. It’s New Year’s Eve, every place is probably pack to the gills and we won’t be able to get in anywhere."

"This hotel is having a party right downstairs tonight," she told them.

"And we’re not on the guest list, I’m sure," Andrew replied.

Faith grinned. "It’s time I made this celebrity thing work for me instead of against me. You guys with me? A few drinks, a little dancing?" When no one said anything, she pleaded. "Oh, come on, guys!"

Rowena looked at the others, but no one moved. "What the hell," she replied as she got up.

"Cool, Blondie’s in," Faith said as she motioned to Andrew and Giles. Both men began to grin. "You know you wanna go, so just say yes," she told them.

Andrew still looked a bit unsure. "I’m sure there’s going to be reporters crawling all over us and…where are you going?" he asked Giles as the older man got up.

"I’m married, Andrew, not dead. Let’s go, ladies," he said as he motioned them all to follow him.

"Woo-hoo!" Faith cheered as she and Rowena began to walk behind Giles.

"Hey guys?" Andrew said to their retreating forms. "Guys?"

"What are you waiting for, Andy. Train’s leaving," Rowena told him.

"Hey, wait up," he said as he started to run toward the door.

Fade Out.

End of Act Three

Act Four

Cut To:

Int.

Watchers Council – Conference Room – Night

Marissa sat in a pool of light in an otherwise darkened room. She slumped in her chair, her posture one of defeat. Robin sat across from her, his face in shadow.

"It was Isabel that did it," Marissa began. "I think I know that much."

Robin flipped open a dossier on the table in front of him. "Willow mentioned that possibility. You’re