Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, or 'The Rugrats Movie'.


Back at the house, Hank and Joyce stepped outside, finding themselves instantly swooped upon by a swarm of news reporters.

"Mr. Summers, is it true that you shipped your own children to Tokyo in a wooden box?" asked one.

"Is it true a vampire ate your baby?" said another.

"Mr. Summers, just how many pecks of pickled peppers did you pick?" Suddenly with a great roar of wind, a helicopter flew into the backyard, and reporter Ethan Rayne leapt out of it, followed by his cammera crew, pushing the other reporters out of the way before turning to the camera.

"Childhood, a time of innocence, a time of joy, a time of unspeakable, unrelenting, tragedy." He turned to Joyce. "Mrs. Summers, tell us how it feels to know, you may never see your children again!"

"Hey!" Jessica, who had recently arrived, leapt to her friend's defence. "Can't you pit bulls show some compassion?"

"So sorry, forgive me" said Ethan, before turning back to Joyce. "Please tell us how it feels to know, you may never see your children again!"

"That's it, let me at him!" yelled Jessica. She lunged at Ethan, but Hank and Giles held her back. "No, let me at him!" While the other reporters looked on, Carl and Candice drove up to the house. Candice was chatting away on her cellphone.

"Hold on, Robert. There's a disturbingly large crowd outside my in-laws, indicating either a yard sale or a family tragedy. Let me get back to you." She and Carl climbed out of the car and the reporters pounced on them, lead by Ethan.

"Mr. Chase, how does it feel knowing your brother lost your only daughter?"

"He what?!" Carl growled, face turning red with anger.

"Share your pain" Ethan smiled. This was going to make great television. Carl leapt at Hank, knocking him to the ground.

"You're breaking my arm!" Hank cried.

"Only because I can't reach your neck!" Carl snapped. Ethan chuckled, before turning back to the camera, holding up a stack of flyers with the children's photos printed on them. "And there you have it. Two sour brothers and, young Sarah, baby Michelle, best friends Nicholas and Emma, the inseparable Alyson and Amber, and poor Charisma, all vanished without a trace. I'm Ethan Rayne, and I'll be back soon with more Really Big Action News!" As the chaos continued, Ira came dashing up to the house.

"Miss Calendar said she saw Cordelia and Oz run through her garden and head north on I 99!"

"My baby!" cried Candice.

"Let's go!" yelled Joyce. Everyone rushed off and piled into their cars, when Giles burst out of the house dressed in a soldier's uniform.

"Private First-class Giles, reporting for duty!" he said, saluting. Ira, Joyce, and Hank, already sitting in the car, glanced at each other.

"Just get in!" yelled Ira.

--

Meanwhile, Xander, Anya, Willow, and Tara were pulling the Angel Wagon up the hill, while Buffy pushed it from behind.

"Good job guys, we're almost there!" she smiled, turning to her sister, who was sitting in the wagon. "You're doing good too Dawn, just play nice." Dawn giggled, whacking Buffy on the head with her bottle.

"Not too much fun back there is it?" called Xander smugly.

"Oh, we're doing okay" said Buffy. "That's some good hittin' there Dawnie!" With that, Dawn hit Buffy again.

"I'm hungry" Willow groaned. "Right about now my Daddy would be making me a fried baloney sandwich."

"Mmm" said Tara. She stayed at Willow's house often enough to know exactly what she was talking about. "I c-can almost smell it b-burning."

"Yeah" Willow continued. "And it tastes all crunchy.."

"Stop it Willow, you're making me hungry" said Buffy. Dawn must not have liked the sound of her sister's voice, because she hit her yet again. The Scoobies reached the top of the hill, gasping in horror at the endless stretch of forest that lay before them.

"Oh n-no!" cried Tara.

"We can't see our houses from here Buffy!" said Anya.

"We can't see any houses from here!" added Xander.

"We're all gonna die!" cried Willow, dropping to her knees. "Die, die I tell you!" Unfortunately, things were about to get even worse for the Scoobies. An unknown creature was watching them from the bushes, and it was hungry...