A/N: Be prepared for a combination of horrible 50s' slang and a race against time... Lovely combo.

Song of the Episode: I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons

INT. BEDROOM, 1952

EDYTHE CULLEN sits on the bed, reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Text on screen reads:

Boston, MA
1952

Edythe looks up just before there's a KNOCK at the door.

EDYTHE
Come in, Archie.

ARCHIE CULLEN walks into the room, nervous. He shuts the door behind himself carefully.

ARCHIE
Hey bean.

EDYTHE
Hey. You know, I think that's a fantastic idea, Arch. Even though you do look like you got the zorros about it.

ARCHIE
(sarcastically)
You think?

EDYTHE
Oh, come on. I would've thought you'd be jazzed to propose to her.

ARCHIE
What do you know? You're just a kitten.

EDYTHE
That's true, I am. But I also know how much you love Jess.

ARCHIE
So you think I should?

EDYTHE
I do.

ARCHIE
Thanks, Edy.

EDYTHE
No sweat.

EXT. VOLTERRA - PRESENT - NIGHT

Edythe walks through the town, her eyes black with thirst. FLORA walks around the town, patrolling, and with a long black cloak on. Flora has a slightly olive complexion and short, curly black hair. Her eyes are a deep red. Text on screen reads:

present

FLORA (V.O.)
Who's this? A visitor? Weathered and well traveled, I presume from her appearance... Thirsty, as well. No doubt in search of a complementary meal...

EDYTHE
Buongiorno.

FLORA
Buongiorno.

FLORA (V.O.)
Such civility for a nomad.

FLORA
Can I help you with something?

EDYTHE
Yes, actually - if it isn't too much. I wish to convene with Sulpicia.

FLORA
A little presumptuous, don't you think? Sulpicia is not one to take drop-in visits.

EDYTHE
I wonder if she'd make an exception for me.

FLORA
An exception? Have you met with the Volturi before?

EDYTHE
No, but my creator spent quite a bit of time with them a few centuries back. They would most likely remember her - Carine Cullen?

FLORA
Hm. And you are...?

EDYTHE
I'm her daughter. My name is Edythe Cullen.

FLORA (V.O.)
Cullen... Could it be? The ones who hunt animals in lieu of human blood? The stories are true?

FLORA
Perhaps Sulpicia will make an exception for you. Follow me.

Cato turns and leads Edythe into an alleyway.

INT. VOLTURI TURRET

The room is circular, and many red-eyed vampires stand around talking to each other. SULPICIA is one of them. Sulpicia has long black hair and pale skin. MARCUS and ATHENODORA are behind her. Marcus has long black hair, while Athenodora has long white hair. Three thrones sit at the front of the room. Flora leads Edythe inside.

SULPICIA
Welcome, welcome young bellezza! Cato tells me you wished to speak with me. A Cullen, I hear. You know Carine Cullen?

EDYTHE
She is my creator.

SULPICIA
Ah. How is my wonderful friend these days?

EDYTHE
She is well, I assume. I haven't spoken to her recently.

SULPICIA
Is she still intent on her diet of animal blood?

Edythe nods.

SULPICIA (CONT'D)
Ah. Three and a half centuries, and she has never fed on a human. How I strive to follow her genial, compassionate example... So. What can I do for you this morning, Edythe Cullen?

EDYTHE
I have a request to make.

SULPICIA
Let's not worry ourselves with needless words, Edythe. May I?

Sulpicia stands and walks over to Edythe. She touches Edythe's hand.

SULPICIA (CONT'D)
Ah. I see your trouble, my dear Edythe. Believe me when I say I am deeply sorry for your loss.

EDYTHE
Thank you.

SULPICIA
You have seen very great joy and very great pain in an extremely brief amount of time.

Sulpicia walks back to her throne.

SULPICIA (CONT'D)
I'm afraid, my dear Edythe. That we have a problem.

EDYTHE
A problem?

SULPICIA
What a pleasure it's been to make your acquaintance. You are quite talented, young one, are you not? And your brother, Archie, as well. What a misfortune to have met such an individual soul, only to bid you a final farewell so soon. You, my dear ragazza, are...special.

ATHENODORA
Oh, do indulge us, Sulpicia.

SULPICIA
Dear sister. Brother. It seems our friend Edythe Cullen possesses quite the unique gift - an ability to read the minds of others without the benefit of physical contact.

MARCUS
What is it she wants, Sulpicia? A place in the guard?

SULPICIA
I'd be willing to offer if it were so. But no, my dear brother. That is not what our friend has come here to request.

MARCUS
What then?

SULPICIA
Oh, Edythe. Isn't there any way we can change your mind?

EDYTHE
I'm afraid not. I'm here today to ask a favor - however ill-deserved. I wish to die.

MARCUS
You wish for...an execution?

EDYTHE
Yes.

Beat.

SULPICIA
You see. Edythe has found herself in a very unusual situation, indeed. Edythe has fallen for a human boy. But there's more. This boy's blood called to her...a siren...il suo cantante...and yet - she resisted. More than resisted. She embraced him, loved him, committed herself to him...tasted him. And it seems...that she's lost him to the frailty of a human existence, and now, burdened immensely with her grief, she wishes to join him in the afterlife.

MARCUS (V.O.)
What a waste.

ATHENODORA (V.O.)
Fine, then. Let her die. I don't see why Sulpicia draws this out so needlessly. There are more pressing matters to attend to...

MARCUS
This is why you wish to cease?

EDYTHE
It is.

SULPICIA
Edythe. Tell me more about your brother. Archibald, is it?

EDYTHE
Archie. With all due respect, you've read in my mind all the knowledge I have on him.

SULPICIA
He sees the future, does he not?

EDYTHE
He does.

SULPICIA
Hmm... There is one thing I do not understand. Your brother has seen you and your deceased mate together in the future, has he not? How can that be, if he's already been lost?

EDYTHE
Archie's visions are not set in stone. They're based on decision-making. What he sees happening does not always come to fruition.

SULPICIA
Your request is...unexpected, Edythe, and, in likeness, unprecedented. It is a large decision to make. Would you mind, very much, if I discussed my options with my companions?

EDYTHE
Of course. If it's not too much to ask, however, I am a tad short on time. If you could come to your conclusions with as much haste as possible...

SULPICIA
Yes, yes. Of course. If you return after sunset, that would give us enough time, I think. Flora? Please escort Edythe to the city gates, and wait there with her for word. We'll send Tacita for you when our decision has been made.

FLORA
Of course, Mistress.

INT. AIRPLANE, SEATAC AIRPORT, SEATTLE, WA

The seats are filled with PASSENGERS as the airplane rolls slowly down the runway. BEAU SWAN sits in an airplane seat, nearly jumping out of it with nervousness. Archie sits next to him and puts a hand on his shoulder.

ARCHIE
It's faster than running.

Beau nods in time with his bouncing. The plane at last achieves liftoff. Archie lifts his phone to his ear.

INT. LIVING ROOM, DENALI CLAN'S HOUSE, DENALI, AK

JESSAMINE HALE paces across the room, biting at her nail and bloody tears streaming down her face. Her phone RINGS, and she puts it to her ear.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
Archie?

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Hi, Jess.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
Where are you? Do you know the hell I'm going through right now?

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Beau and I are flying out to Edythe - we have to try to stop her, Jess...

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
God, Archie - where? Going where? Stop her from doing what? Please don't tell me you're going to...

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Volterra. We're going to Volterra.

JESSAMINE
(into phone; shrieking)
No! You have to turn around, Archie. Don't catch your connecting flight - please. Come back to me. I can't lose you.

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Baby, I have to. I have to try and stop her.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
What's she going to do?

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
I don't know for sure...she keeps changing her mind. A killing spree through the city, lifting a car over her head in the town square, barreling through the stone walls... Anything that would expose them - she knows Sulpicia would have to respond.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
Archie - Archie. Please don't go after her. They'll think you're affiliated - you'll be killed, too. Please, Archie, please. Don't do this - I'm coming - I'll come help you. Maybe we can catch her before she even arrives in Volterra -

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
No, love, you can't do that.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
Eleanor thinks we can catch her before she causes any trouble.

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Tell Eleanor no.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
I can't - she and Royal are halfway to Fairbank already -

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
What? No - you've got to bring them back.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
How else can we stop her?!

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Think about it, Jess. You know what'll happen if she sees any one of us.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
You're sending Beau in to get her.

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Our only shot is if she sees Beau first.

A sob catches in Jessamine's throat.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
Come back to me. Please, baby, you have to make it back to me.

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
I'm going to do what I can...but our chances aren't good. Make sure Carine's ready for the worst.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
What about me? How can I be prepared? They won't hesitate to kill you, too, Archie.

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Yeah, I know.

JESSAMINE
(into phone)
Do you? Do you? Tell me how you expect me to live without you if things go awry, Archie. You can't expect me to do it. You know just as well as I do that I can't live without you - just as much as Edythe can't live without Beau. Do what you can to stop her, Archie. We all love Edythe dearly, but promise me something - promise me you'll get out. If she's lost, you have to run, you have to escape. Promise me you won't sacrifice your life for him, or even for Beau. Promise me.

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
Don't worry, I promise. I'll find a way out. No matter what. I love you, baby.

JESSAMINE
(into phone; moaning)
I can't handle this. I love you too much.

ARCHIE (O.S.)
(from phone)
I love you, too.

INT. AIRPLANE, SEATAC AIRPORT, SEATTLE, WA

Beau and Archie sit in airplane seats.

ARCHIE
(into phone)
I love you, too.

Archie hangs up and leans his head back against the seat.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
(to himself)
Really sucks having to lie to her.

BEAU
What's going on?

ARCHIE
Royal and Eleanor - and Jess, too - were all set to go after her, see if they could convince her the truth. But that won't work. The moment she sees them coming, which she will, she'll just act that much faster.

BEAU
But she can read minds. She should know the moment she sees them what the truth is.

ARCHIE
You can lie with your thoughts. Edythe knows the moment we see her we'd be chanting "He's alive! He's alive!" whether you were or not.

BEAU
What?

ARCHIE
I gotta be honest with you. I also just didn't want them - especially not Jess - in the city. If they get there too late, and Edy's already broken the laws - and the Volturi try to take her - they'll fight them. That will make them traitors, and they'll all be executed. I couldn't...I just can't see Jess die that way. You know?

BEAU (V.O.)
Archie couldn't put Jessamine in that kind of danger, not even to save Edythe. I couldn't blame him for that. Edythe was putting herself in harm's way, and Archie could risk his own life, maybe even mine, but he couldn't risk the most important person to him. I didn't know whether that was right or wrong, but I understood, and I didn't think badly of him for it. But how could Edythe do this? Why was she running off to kill herself in the first place? It was completely stupid. Maybe she had said something along those lines back what felt like a lifetime ago, when we'd been watching Romeo and Juliet. But later, she'd said it herself - it had just been a silly, overly romantic notion. Her feelings for me had never been actual love, she'd just been doting on a favored pet. Without realizing it, she had been rolling a ball of string in front of me, enjoying watching me play, but it wasn't real. None of it had been. When she thought the mistake she had made had led to my death - I could only imagine the crippling guilt that must have overtaken her. She'd always had a tendency to take too much blame for things on herself. All this time, I'd never once blamed Edythe for what had happened. Jeremy had said that she had been toying with me, but I didn't believe that. I believed that she had believed that she really could love an ordinary human, that she loved me - it had been kind of her to think so. And I was glad that she had thought so, for a while at least, because I wouldn't miss what I had had the privilege to experience in that brief time for anything, not even to save myself the torture of the last few months. She had made an honest mistake and I didn't blame her for it. But I had never imagined that the good I'd seen in her ran this deep - that she was capable of such deep remorse.

BEAU
You said the others would fight if the Volturi tried to do anything to Edythe, and would all be executed. What about you though? Are you in danger?

ARCHIE
We're heading into dangerous territory here. Sulpicia makes an effort to be fair and just where she can. But if we're trying to protect Edy and help her even if she's willing to break the laws - well, from all Carine has told us, Sulpicia believes in loyalty to the law and justice over coven bonds. So if we help Edy, that makes us her accomplices, and just as much of a threat.

BEAU
Who are these Volturi exactly? I mean, I know they're like royalty, and they rule over you and make sure you're following the rules - but where did they come from? What makes them more dangerous than you or Royal and the others?

ARCHIE
It's a long story. See, first you have to understand, our coven's unusual. You don't see big covens like ours, or like Tanvir's in the north. That's because most of our kind aren't civilized. They sort of drift from one place to the next - I guess you could call them vagabonds - and they go alone, or at most, in pairs. Joss's coven was unusually large, and Lauren ditched them without a second thought. But there's an exception - and that's the Volturi. The core three members are all over three thousand years old. There were originally six - three pairs of bonded mates, Sulpicia and Aro, Athenodora and her mate Caius, and Marcus and his mate. Thousands of years ago, in the Mycenaean age, everything was being torn apart by turf wars and widespread slaughter of human prey. Vampires didn't bother to hide their existence. The Romanians were the ones on top - they kept all the others from cutting in on their territory through brute force, and they got all the best feeding grounds. Aro was the original founder of the Volturi - he convinced Marcus and Caius to join forces with him, in the hopes they might create a world more peaceful, stable, and they would rule over it. They each took mates for themselves as they planned how best to overthrow the Romanians, and establish a new rule. Aro murdered Marcus's mate, Aro's own sister. Only Sulpicia saw what he did. He never believed for a moment she would betray him - but Sulpicia turned him over to Marcus, and Caius, too, who turned out to be in on it. Now there are three members of the core family - Sulpicia, Marcus, and Athenodora.

BEAU
Only three?

ARCHIE
Only three part of the main family. That doesn't include their guard. The guard is huge. Last we heard, always a core of at least eight or nine, almost all with seriously powerful gifts, then more members of a transitory secondary guard, many of who have gifts of their own. And the Volturi are always looking for more potential recruits. They're impossible to fight.

BEAU
And they live in Volterra.

ARCHIE
No hunting in Volterra, obviously. They bring their food in from outside, far away. Mostly they scrape up the dregs of society, people who won't be missed - druggies, pimps, people who don't follow human laws. Sometimes they play vigilantes and catch criminals still at large, too. That's what Sulpicia wants - to clean up anything that threatens world order.

BEAU
They don't sound all bad.

ARCHIE
Maybe they aren't bad - for vampires. But human and vampire standards are two different things. They may say they live by a code, but they all drink human blood, and not just criminals. Their prey could be the homeless guy off the street, or a teenage runaway - like I said, people who won't be noticed. And that's not even considering that sometimes they make mistakes - lose control, like most of our kind. And when it comes to humans, innocent or not, keeping the secret comes before all else. I hate to say it, but your dog friend could be right - there's a huge chance you'll end up dead, either by the hand of a guard who loses control, or Sulpicia may order your execution right along with Edy's and mine, just for being a human in the know.

BEAU
Hey. What about the girl?

Archie's eyebrows pull together in confusion.

BEAU (CONT'D)
The girl. In Carine's painting, there were the three Volturi, and there was a girl there, too. Mele the thief, or something.

ARCHIE
Oh, her. She's dead.

Archie leans back against his seat and closes his eyes.

EXT. JFK AIRPORT, NEW YORK – NIGHT

A plane touches down to the runway.

INT. AIRPLANE

Beau shakes Archie's shoulder.

BEAU
Archie. Archie, we have to go.

Archie opens his eyes.

BEAU (CONT'D)
Anything new?

ARCHIE
Not exactly. She's getting closer. She's deciding how she's going to ask.

INT. AIRPLANE [DIFFERENT]

Beau and Archie sit down in airplane seats. Other seats are filled with PASSENGERS. The plane begins rolling down the runway, and eventually takes off.

BEAU (V.O.)
I was grateful that I'd had so many months' practice with controlling my thoughts. Instead of dwelling on the terrifying possibilities that, no matter what Archie said, I did not intend to survive, I concentrated on lesser problems. Like, what I was going to say to Charlie if I got back? That was a thorny enough problem to occupy several hours. And Jules? She'd promised to wait for me, but did that promise still apply? Would I end up home alone in Forks, with no one at all? Maybe I didn't want to survive, no matter what happened.

Archie shakes Beau's shoulder.

BEAU
What? What happened?

ARCHIE
Edythe just spoke to the Volturi. Sulpicia has decided to deny her request. She's going to try to reason with her. She hates to see life wasted - especially for someone like Edythe, who has such a powerful gift, and even more, a strong sense of justice. She's going to offer her a place among the guard, as an alternative to dying.

BEAU
And Edythe? How will she respond?

ARCHIE
I can't see that just yet, but she won't be swayed by anything that Sulpicia says, that's pretty certain. But this at least will give us more time. Sulpicia is reluctant to do anything, and that might force Edythe to get a little more creative.

BEAU
Just how are you seeing all this so clearly? Then other times you see more than one possibility, and you can't tell which one is the one that will actually happen yet - and some things don't happen.

ARCHIE
It's complicated. It's very close to actually happening. Sulpicia and Edy have already made their decisions, so things are pretty much set, up until the point Edy's plans get more defined. It also helps I'm really concentrating - when things just come to me from faraway, when I'm not expecting it, usually those are just glimpses, possible maybes. Not to mention visions of our kind come more easily than visions of yours, and since Edythe is my sister and I'm used to seeing her future, hers is almost always more clear.

BEAU
You see me sometimes. My future. Certain possibilities.

ARCHIE
Yeah. Like I told you before, I did see that - you, becoming one of us. At the time.

BEAU
At the time.

Archie sighs.

ARCHIE
You know, Beau-man - considering the completely stupid situation we're in right now, I've just about made up my mind that if we actually survive this, I'll just do it. I'll change you.

Beau simply stares at Archie, confused.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
What's with the look? Because I sort of got the impression all this time that's what you were aiming for.

BEAU
Yeah. Yeah - let's do it. Do it now. I'd be so much faster, and maybe we'd make it in time.

Archie rolls his eyes.

ARCHIE
Idiot. We're getting into Volterra tomorrow, and in case you've forgotten, you'd be screaming in pain for days.

BEAU
Oh...right. (beat) If you don't do it now, you'll change your mind.

ARCHIE
I wouldn't have even said it if I wasn't pretty well decided. Edythe will probably want to kill me, but considering if we save her life I'll probably want to kill her, I figure we're even. Let her try to stop us.

BEAU (V.O.)
I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I felt my spirits lift at the thought. Maybe Edythe wouldn't find me at all interesting as a vampire, but at least we would be equals at last, a part of the same world. Even if she wasn't interested, I would be able to have the power to at least try to win her over. Maybe I could even be a part of the Cullen family.

ARCHIE
You know I'm not totally sure that I could, right? There's a pretty fair chance I'll end up killing you instead. Like I said before, we're like sharks, and the taste of blood sends us into a frenzy.

Beau shrugs.

BEAU
I figure it's worth the risk.

ARCHIE
You know, sometimes you're way too laid back about your life. If you weren't so quick to go around jumping off cliffs, we might not be in this mess. (beat) You should try to get some sleep. I'll wake you up when something else happens.

BEAU
I'll try.

FADE TO:

INT. AIRPLANE, HOURS LATER

Archie closes the window.

BEAU
What? What's going on?

ARCHIE
They did it. Sulpicia told her no.

BEAU
What has she decided to do?

ARCHIE
It was pretty chaotic for a while. I was only getting flickers, she was switching plans so fast. This last hour was really bad...she'd almost settled on going hunting.

BEAU
Hunting?

ARCHIE
She was going to hunt, right in the middle of the city. Tourists - at least until the Volturi got her.

BEAU
Oh. But she changed her mind?

Archie nods.

ARCHIE
At the last minute.

BEAU
(to himself)
She wouldn't want to disappoint Carine.
(to Archie)
What's her plan now? Will we make it?

ARCHIE
We might. If she sticks to her last plan - she's going to keep it simple. Just walk out into the sunlight.

BEAU
So we'll be too late.

Archie shakes his head.

ARCHIE
Right now, she's leaning toward the melodramatic. She's going to go to the main plaza, and wait until it's filled with tourists and the sun is exactly overhead. She'll come out right under the clock tower.

BEAU
So, until noon. If she doesn't change her mind.

ARCHIE
If she doesn't change her mind.

BEAU
How far is it from Florence to Volterra?

ARCHIE
That depends on how fast you drive... Beau?

BEAU
Yes?

ARCHIE
How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?

EXT. FLORENCE AIRPORT – DAY

A street backs up to the airport, sidewalks filled with TRAVELERS lining it. The street is covered by an overhang from the roof. Beau stands at the curb, his bag resting on his shoulder. Archie drives up quickly with a yellow 911 Turbo. The passenger window is open.

ARCHIE
Hurry, Beau!

Beau runs over to the car and gets in, throwing his bag over the seat behind him.

INT. 911 TURBO

Archie speeds down the roads as Beau buckles his seatbelt.

BEAU
Sheesh, Archie. Could you pick a more conspicuous car to steal?

ARCHIE
The important question is whether I could have stolen a faster car, and I don't think so. I got lucky. Nice ride. Fast.

BEAU
I'm sure that will be comforting at the roadblock.

ARCHIE
Relax. If the police set up a roadblock, it'll be behind us. Far behind us.

BEAU
Have you seen anything else?

ARCHIE
There's some kind of festival going on. It's not a normal day. The street's full of people and red flags. What's today?

BEAU
I think the nineteenth. Maybe.

Archie laughs.

ARCHIE
Well, that's ironic. It's Saint Marcus Day.

BEAU
What's that?

Archie shakes his head.

ARCHIE
The city holds a celebration every year. As the legend goes a Christian missionary, Father Marcus, drove all the vampires from Volterra fifteen hundred years ago, but was martyred in Romania, still fighting the vampire scourge. Course, that Marcus wasn't actually a saint, but one of the Volturi. He's the one who started a lot of those old superstitions about crosses and garlic - just to give the people some peace of mind, make them feel like they had a way to defend themselves. People didn't have any reason not to believe they worked, as of course vampires don't trouble Volterra. These days Saint Marcus Day is more a celebration of the city's police force, since Volterra is such an amazingly safe city.

BEAU
Is she still planning to wait for noon?

ARCHIE
Yeah, she's going to wait it out. And the Volturi are waiting to see what she'll decide.

BEAU
So what's our plan? What do I need to do?

ARCHIE
Nothing. She just has to see you before she steps into the light. And she has to see you before she sees me. I'm going to drop you off as close as we can get, then you go where I point you.

Beau nods.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
One thing, man. Promise me.

BEAU
Yeah?

ARCHIE
Whatever you do, try not to trip. We don't have time for a concussion today.

Archie points to a high-walled city far in front of them.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
There. Volterra.

EXT. VOLTERRA – DAY

A long line of cars comes from the gates. A parking lot sits nearby, which the line of cars is heading to. The 911 Turbo sits in the middle of the line. PEOPLE head through the gates, wearing all red.

INT. 911 TURBO

Beau continues getting more and more edgy as the time gets closer and closer to noon.

BEAU
(complaining)
Archie.

Beau sees that no cars are being allowed in.

ARCHIE
I know. I'm going to talk to the guard. I can't see what he'll decide yet, though. If this doesn't work, you'll have to run in alone. Just keep asking for the Palazzo dei Priori - or clock tower, if they speak English. Keep running.

BEAU
Palazzo dei Priori, Palazzo dei Priori.

ARCHIE
Edythe will be under the clock tower, north of the square. There's a little alleyway just on the right - she'll be in the shadow there. Do whatever you can to get her attention before she steps out into the sun.

Beau nods vigorously, staring straight at the gate up ahead.

EXT. VOLTERRA – DAY

The Turbo pulls up to the head of the line. TWO GUARDS stand there, pointing cars in the direction of the parking lot. The Turbo moves around the Guards. Guard 1 shouts something at them, but keeps his position and tries to get the other cars to park in the parking lot. Guard 2 steps in front of the Turbo. The Turbo angles so that Archie is in the shadows.

INT. 911 TURBO

Archie rolls the window down halfway and discreetly puts leather gloves on. Guard 2 walks around to Archie's window.

GUARD 2
(heavily accented [Italian])
I am sorry. But only tour buses are allowed in the city today, sir.

ARCHIE
Didn't they tell you? We're taking a private tour.

Archie reaches his hand out of the window with a roll of money in it and grabs Guard 2's hand. Archie places the money in it and closes the Guards fingers around it.

GUARD 2
(heavily accented)
Is this a joke?

ARCHIE
Only if you think it's funny.

The digital clock on the dashboard reads 11:55.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
I might be in just a bit of a hurry, dude.

Beat. Guard 2 shoves the money into his vest and waves them in. Archie drives into the city. The roads are filled with red clothes-wearing people. Beau unbuckles his seatbelt and grips the door handle.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
Just a little farther.

Archie stops the car. Beau throws the door open.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
Okay, we're here. You just run that way - toward the north end of the square. Run straight across, and look to right of the clock tower. I'll try to find a way - They're everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

Archie pushes Beau out of the car.

ARCHIE (CONT'D)
Never mind, get going! Two minutes, man, that's all we got. Go, go!

EXT. VOLTERRA – DAY

Beau runs through the crowd, pushing people aside as they yell at him. Beau continues running through the square. He runs into a fountain, which he jumps in and runs through.

BEAU (V.O.)
Let Archie make it out at least. Even if Edythe was executed and I was devoured, I hoped Archie would make it back to Jessamine. Every second I listened, for the gasps, the shouts, the signs of discovery when Edythe revealed herself. But I hadn't heard anything yet, and so I kept running, with a sliver of treacherous hope.

Beau jumps out of the fountain and continues running toward the huge clock tower. The clock CHIMES twice.

BEAU
Edythe!

Edythe can be seen in an alleyway to the right of the clock tower. She wears just her bra and tailored black pants from the previous suit. Beau is running toward her. Edythe steps into the sun.

A/N: The research on 50s slang for that first scene was simultaneously the best and worst thing I'd ever searched.

And like always, reviews and follows/favorites are always highly appreciated. See you on Sunday as we finally reach the end... (Well, not technically, since there's like two or three more chapters after the next one, but we're close!)