Worst of friends/Best of enemies
Episode# 28 "All Ducks in a row"
Disclaimer: I in no way own any of the characters in this story
Setting: Set in the 5th season of Buffy the vampire slayer, after the 2nd episode, all the characters exist, only difference is that the Buffy Dracula situation is still UN resolved and no one knows that Buffy was bit.
Situation: The story mainly has to do with the conflict between Xander & Harmony, and is not mainly about Buffy, sort of a Scooby club episode.
Ext Riley's SUV Sunnydale Streets day
Riley drives the vehicle with Buffy riding shotgun, Willow and Tara sitting in the middle seat holding hand and staying close, Dawn yawn's from the back seat trying to sleep. The sound of a police scanner is softly overheard in the car. The Vehicle pulls away from a house, Ammie runs up to it having just been dropped off; she waves at the SUV and then goes inside.
Riley
"So just how ballistic is her mother going to be?"
Buffy
"Don't think we need to answer that one Riley" she says getting comfortable and looking at here boyfriend.
Willow
"Well, Slumber parties can run late "
Tara
"Slumber Party?" looking inquisitive towards willow
Willow
"Yeah, that sort of our cover story, if anyone should ask"
Tara smiles are Willow
Buffy
"Well, just try to leave out the whole being in a crypt part"
Dawn (OS)
"With her recently deceased sister."
Riley
"Or Hostle-17"
Buffy
"Yes, No Spike involvement is a plus!"
Willow
"When you look back at it Buff its still feels a bit creepy, you know"
Tara looks at Willow squeezing her hand for reassurance, pointing out a semi-sleeping Dawn to Willow. Riley notices from the rear view mirror and then sees the same sleepy look from her older sister beside him.
Riley
"Not your normal slumber party activity for sure"
Buffy
"Sort of a shock I tell you "she says smiling at Riley
Willow
"Diffidently not what I expected"
Buffy
"But Passion's? She shivers for the group
Riley
"Only in Sunnydale"
Fade to black.
Int Willow & Tara's Dorm outer hall, day
Willow and Tara walk down the hall, having just been dropped off, and willow leading the way. Students pass by on way to classes oblivious to the problems other than academic and what next party to attend, Tara watches wistfully than walks with Willow into their room.
Cut to Tara with back to door as it shuts watching willow (OS) medium shot of normal nervous Tara.
Tara
"Do you think you'll be able to...? Find the records I mean?"
Willow (OS)
"If were lucky? It'll be a piece of cake"
Tara
"Cake?" Tara asks willow crossing the room
Willow
"With chocolate frosting" she says eyeing Buffy's poster now adorning back of her door, and turning on her laptop.
Tara
"Cakes good, Never been too good with computers though" she say's looking around, softly smiling at willow.
Cut to Medium shot of Willow Illuminated by a soft glowing screen, click and clack of keys as she manipulates the laptop on her bed.
Willow
"It's not too hard once you get use to it; see it for what it is"
Tara (OS)
"I guess, sort of like Magic, you think? "
Willow
"Yeah, in a way, but with out all the stinky ingredients" she says wrinkling her nose as if smelling something unpleasant.
Mid shot of Willow at the computer, Tara walks about the room, seeing something (os) she walks out of shot.
Tara (Os)
"Not all ingredients are bad Will, Jasmine and Lilac are nice"
Willow
"Ooh and Lavender is pretty, what do we have here?" she says changing her tone, clicking away at the computer.
Cut to Tara stuffing some papers of hers into an old magic Book lying open on the side table.
Tara
"Find something?" she says walking over to willow, looking at the book hastily hidden.
Willow
"Maybe, looks like this Realty company made a big sell." Willow clicks the keyboard, smiling a comforting smirk when Tara leans near to her.
Tara
"Our Guy? "Softly smiling at her affect she had on her closest friend.
Willow
"Could be, and its close to where we found you, we should check it out"
Tara (concerned look)
"Us, Shouldn't we like call Buffy? Or Giles?"
Willow looks to Tara noticing her friends concern, touching Tara's hand as much for her sake as Tara's, Tara smiles at willow holding her soft hand in hers.
Willow
"I'm sorry, I forgot you you were just there, the thought of going back must be".
Willow hugs Tara realizing she just got her friend back and was about to run out and put her in danger again.
Tara
"It's okay; I'm fine it's just if something were to happen…"
Pull out to a full shot with focus on closeness of Willow and Tara.
Willow
"You'll be okay, Buffy has handled far worse, and so have we" willow says with a small degree of self-assurance in her voice.
Tara
"Oh, I know but its.." Tara starts looking self-conscious as if avoiding something she did want to deal with or even think about.
Willow
"It's what? What's wrong baby?" she says sensing something unsaid.
Tara
"I, oh it's nothing..." Tara looks away subconsciously straight at her hastily hidden book, then away.
Willow
"Is there something? Something that you're not saying?
Tara says nothing but looks to Willow as if it was best left unsaid, Willow looks to where her friend just looked, and sees the magic book.
Willow
"It has something to do with that book doesn't it? The one you been reading, the spell you wouldn't let me help you with, isn't it?" she says not trying to sound accusing."
Tara
"Willow" said softly almost pleading.
The 2 witches look at each other for what seems an eternity, but only lasts a few seconds, willow pulls away from Tara, but doesn't break eye contact, being hard since Tara was trying to avoid looking into the eyes of her friend, she knew that any resolve would crumble if she looked into willows eyes, and she had to be there for Willow.
Willow
"That Book it's really dark Tara, why would you? How could you even consider? She looks at Tara for answers trying to connect and see in Tara's eyes what she wasn't saying."
Tara doesn't say anything, she cant looking at Willow; we see a flash back of the day in the Magic Box, when she was doing the Card reading, the reading that foretold death...
Cut back to a mid shot of Willow and Tara, Tara's eyes are red but she doesn't dare cry, Willow is looking at her hurt & confused.
Willow
"We can work this out Tara, I know we can, what ever it is we can make it better" she says insistently looking into the eyes of her soul mate.
Tara
"I can't bare, the thought of losing, oh will" Tara hugs Willow, Willow is slightly concerned at the sudden outpouring of emotion from Tara.
Willow
"Losing? Who are we losing? Xander Buffy?"
Tara with Red eyes says nothing just looking into her clueless lovers eyes
Willow
"Oh!" Willow hugs Tara. Close shot of surprise and sudden realization passing over Willow's face.
Fade to black
Int summer's Kitchen early morning
Dawn sneaks into the kitchen, opening and closing the side door quietly, she looks up to see if she can hear her mother getting ready for work, and is at first relieved to not hear anything, then wondering why the house is so quiet, putting down her back pack on the table she goes to the fridge and pulls out some juice pouring a glass.
A sound of a Car is heard pulling up into the driveway outside, Dawn tiptoes up to the window sipping her juice peaking out for a look and then seems relieved, a shadow of someone passes the window and then the sound of keys behind the unlocked side door.
Cut to mid shot of Joyce Summers standing outside fiddling with the Keys and then finding the door unlocked, cautiously opening the door to look inside from the doorway.
Joyce (Low voice)
"Dawn, Buffy?"
View over Joyce's shoulder of Dawn in the Kitchen looking at her mother sneaking in to the house. Joyce appears shocked and then relieved to see her youngest daughter getting ready for school.
Joyce (Mom voice)
"Dawn, your up early dear" she says entering if all was normal.
Dawn (with smirk)
"Yep, that's me earlier to rise "
Joyce doesn't say any thing looking at her daughter and her expression, she busies about the kitchen as if nothing was different, her daughter watching her sipping the last of her juice.
Joyce
"Is Buffy up yet?" looking upstairs from the doorway of the hall. Apparently listening for the sounds of her other more nocturnal daughter.
Dawn
"Nope, already gone she had something to do with Riley"
Joyce gives her a look of Disapproval
Dawn
"No mom not that, please" she says rolling her eyes at the conversation, putting glass in the sink.
Joyce
"Well she's a grown woman and god knows she…" she says bring a box of cereal from the cabinet.
Interrupting
Dawn
"Mom please were not having the talk are we? Over cereal?" Saying disbelief rolling her eyes.
Joyce
"What? What talk dear?" pours some cereal in a bowl.
Dawn doesn't say anything, waiting for her mother to catch up with the conversation.
Joyce
"Like I would have any more luck with you than I had with Buffy" she says catching a glimpse of dawn's almost hurt expression while getting milk from fridge.
Dawn
"I'm not Buffy Mom" saying matter of factly.
Joyce
"I know dear" she hugs her daughter than kisses her on the forehead as she goes to sit down, she sees the back-pack on the table, but changes her expression eating her breakfast.
Dawn yawns a bit and then helps herself to some cereal and joins her mother at the table for an infrequent breakfast. They smile politely eating there cereal saying nothing.
Dawn
"So…"
Joyce
"So?"
Dawn
"Spill mom"
Joyce looks at her daughter as if not understanding, then starts to blush and thinking of a way to change the subject.
Dawn
"You sneak in late and some one that would give the Doctor from Grey's anatomy a run for his money, drops you off, so come on!!
Joyce seems very preoccupied with her breakfast, but can't help blushing more and smiling.
Dawn
"Well?"
Joyce
"Don't you have to get ready for school?" she says avoiding
Dawn
"I'll call in...(Cough, cough)" she says faking being sick while crossing her arms and staring at her mom intently
Joyce
"Now Dawn…" looking disapproving, but still with a summer I've been up to something smile, and I have to tell someone before I explode look.
Dawn
"Mother" she says insistently
Joyce looks at her daughter and realizes that her youngest daughter was more like her sister and herself than she would like to admit. She starts to explain meeting the man that Dawn saw in the car. Dawn smiles and enjoying the rare moment with her mom.
Fade to Black
Ext Wily's Bar – Day
View opens on Anya, ex-vengeance demon and current girlfriend of one Xander Harris; she stands in an alley out of the way under a sign not often seen in one of the shadier sections of Sunnydale. Cars and people pass by without a moments notice, the sign flickers "Wily's Bar" a sign on the door saying Welcome.
A mid-shot of Anya looking at a glowing object in her hand but (OS), she appears to pocket the glowing bauble and then enters the bar. Cut to.
Int Wily's Bar-Day
The Interior of Wily's is dark and shadowy matching its clientele; booths are along the walls, small tables in the middle and a bar opposite of the door. A scrawny man stands cleaning and stacking well worn glasses behind the bar, a bell rings singling Anya's entrance. The Man looks up almost annoyed at the arrival.
Wily
"Sorry were actually closing you'll have to come back later miss"
Anya (OS)
"Closing? Really what a surprise"
Pull into a Mid-shot of Anya stepping up to the bar opposite Wily.
Wily
"Yeah that's right; my clientele are more of night people"
Anya doesn't say anything looking around at an almost vacant bar, a single cloaked Demon laying head first in a basket of Nacho's , a ring of empty Beer bottles scattered on the table.
Anya
"Clients?"
Wily
"It's been a Bit slow "the Bartender says finishing with the Glasses putting the tray under the bar
Looking annoyed and impatient as ever Anya sits at the bar; Wily gets nervous and looks about.
Wily
"The Nacho's, they're taking off people cant get enough I tell yah"
Anya
"Whatever, So I heard you like know things, who's new in town for example" Anya says taking a nut from a basket and eating it and spitting out regretting what she just did.
Wily
"I don't have a clue what you mean, I run a Respectable business"
Anya
"This is Respectable? Really?
Wily
"Right, so I don't know what someone told you..."
Interrupted
Anya (Irritated)
"I'm looking for my Xander, I heard that you can help, can you or not?"
Wily
"Uh, I don't know who this Xander is; you got the wrong man, as I said I run a respectable business here"
Anya (angry & raising voice)
"I really don't have time for this!"
Wily seems to flinch and slight pulls back from Anya, who notices and gives Wily a questioning look.
Wily
"This is normally the point where the Slayer starts hitting me"
Anya
"Well, as you can see I'm not the Slayer" she states the obvious reaching into her jacket pocket, Wily momentarily is relieved to not get hit, but still looks at Anya suspiciously.
Anya
"I just want my Xander back "
Wily
"People in Hell want ice water" Wily say's with a chuckle.
Anya gives Wily a stare as she leans in closer, shot pulls into a close-up, Anya remembering what being a vengeance demon for so long let her see and let her do to the deceitful men of the world.
Anya
"Would you like to find out for yourself" said in a low voice more of a threat than a question.
Wily
"What? What do you mean?"
Anya
"Being a Vengeance demon I collected many favors through out the millennium's of loyal service, I pull a few strings and you could have a first hand experience of what people in hell really and truly want Wily"
Anya pulls her hand partially out of her jacket pocket; it's bathed in a Green flickering glow.
Wily
"Right, yeah okay, sure new people, I might have heard something, people talk things get heard you know how it is. Now that I think of it I do seem to remember something.
Anya
"Thought you would" Putting her hand with the glowing bauble back in here jacket pocket.
Wily
"Well, this can't get around, wouldn't want it to get to the wrong people that I was helping the wrong crowd, the slayer and her boy toy dropping in and running away my customers."
Anya
"Please I've already forgotten you "
Wily
"Okay, here's the address I made a special delivery couple days ago, top shelf client only wanted the very best, you know the high grade plasma, no cheap knock off for this guy I tell yah."
Wily jot's down the address on a cocktail napkin, and then crumbles it up when he sees it has his bars name on it, writes the address on a blank scrap of paper and pushes it to Anya.
Anya
"Okay but if this is bad ill be back" she taps her pocket
The Demon on the other side of the room wakes up half covers in solidified cheese spread.
Wily
"Yeah come back anytime
Anya shakes her head and walks to the door
Wily (OS)
"Come back on Wednesday "he says loud enough for anyone in the bar to hear.
Anya
"Why Wednesday?"
Wily
"Wet t-shirt day, it's a big draw, you would be a natural"
Anya (Scowl)
"Oooh troll" She leaves with a slam of the door.
Fade to black
