Episode 7.1 "Home Sweet Hellmouth"

Written by: L.E. Lamkin

In the darkness of the cemetery, a snarling vampire is roaming amongst the headstones, searching for prey. Its apparent that the vampire has just risen from its grave, and is unsuspecting of its fate. Out of nowhere, a solid kick lands on the back of its head, sending it spiraling to the ground. The vampire looks up, surprised to see a lanky brunette female standing above him, clutching a stake – it's Dawn. Right behind her is Buffy and Xander, and they're all out for a patrol of Sunnydale, providing both encouragement and fighting tips.

~

Buffy: "The chest, the chest! Go for the chest!"

Dawn: "I know, I know!"

Xander: "Now you've got him, Dawnie!"

Buffy: "That kick was way too high!"

~

Dawn struggles with the vampire, until finally, she manages to dust him. Proud of herself, and excited that she gets to be involved in the demon fighting now that Buffy's been training her, Dawn leads the way out of the cemetery, their work for the night finally over.

What they don't notice, however, is a dark figure standing in the shadows not too far away from them, an eerie orange glow in their eyes. We see that the figure is vaguely human, but something is…off. The figure produces a cigaratte from the folds of his long jacket, and slips it in his mouth. Then, a moment later, a small burst of flame lights the tip of the cigarette from out of thin air, and he inhales deeply.

The next day, Buffy and Dawn are out shopping for new school clothes. Buffy admits that she misses Willow and Giles, and can't wait for them to get back from England, where Willow's been recuperating. Dawn agrees, and also wonders where another of their team has gone to. She's of course referring to Spike, and just the mention of the vampire's name gets Buffy a little bothered. She tells Dawn that they shouldn't worry about Spike. He's gone, she checked his crypt several times during the summer, and there was never a trace of him, just Clem. The Slayer tells her sister that they just need to forget about Spike, completely.

~

Buffy: "Spike doesn't figure into the equation anymore. He's gone."

Dawn: "I just wish I could talk to him, is all."

~

In England, in Giles's small, but comfortable home, Giles and Willow are having a therapy session. Willow talks about all the guilt she still feels. She wishes things hadn't happened the way they did last spring. Giles asks her if she regrets killing Warren, and after a long moment of silence, Willow finally answers no. Giles admits to her that back when they had been fighting Glory, he took matters into his own hands and killed Ben to keep them all safe and preventing Glory's return. Willow is shocked, but understands now that Giles is offering her his own kind of compassion. He knows what can happen to a person when extreme measures arise.

~

Giles: "Sometimes, the most favorable solution is not the best. Sometimes you have to do things you may regret. Do you have any regrets?"

Willow: "I regret treating everyone the way I did. But what happened to Warren? I will never regret that."

~

Willow is ready to go back home. She misses her friends, and she wants to be sure they will accept her back into the fold. But she knows nothing will ever be the same again. Giles comforts her, and reminds her that her trial is coming up. The Watcher's Council, along with the Devon Coven, must decide if Willow is now fit to return to her normal life. She knows she is ready, and is confident that the Council will see that her therapy and magick-using lessons have gone well.

Back in Sunnydale, night has fallen. Buffy, Dawn and Xander are wandering the streets of Sunnydale together, heading towards the Bronze. Suddenly, shouts are heard up the street, and Buffy runs to see what's going on, and what's causing panic.

~

Dawn: "Does the Slayer ever get a night off?"

Buffy: "In this town? Never."

~

Turns out, a fire has started up in town. A building has been sent up in blazing flames, and Dawn and Xander look on in horror as Buffy asks around to see if anyone saw what happened. Someone mentions they saw a suspicious guy walking around the side of the building before the fire started, so Buffy leaves her friend and sister behind with the other onlookers to pursue the possible culprit.

In a side alley, beside the raging building, Buffy confronts the dark stranger.

~

Buffy: "Looks like somebody's been watching too much Beavis and Butt-Head."

~

The stranger is vaguely human, but it is obvious there's demon in him, as well. Hidden beneath a mangy head of hair, pointed ears can be made out, with ridges along the forehead much like a vampire. His eyes are glowing a soft orange, and Buffy immediately deduces that this is her demon. Insults fly, and the demon threatens Buffy that "the Higher Powers will be coming". Whatever that means. Buffy ignores the demon's threats, and starts to fight. After a short, but intense battle, Buffy realizes that the burning building was only a rouse to lure the Slayer out, and that she's dealing with something more than a run-of-the-mill demon. Just barely escaping from being burned to death, Buffy takes off from the alley, scared for her life.

After re-grouping at Casa de Summers, Buffy retells the events of what happened with "the lost, absolutely insane member of the Fantastic Four". The trio is at a loss. There isn't anyone around who was usually good at the research thing: no Giles, no Willow…Dawn suggests they give Anya a call. She reasons that since she's a demon again, she's probably up to date on all-things supernatural in Sunnydale these days. Xander is uncomfortable, for obvious reasons, but Buffy agrees that it's their best shot.

Xander agrees at length, and after a desperate phone call, Anya agrees to come over and help them, as long as she doesn't have to talk to Xander. Xander's hurt by this, but he knows it's all for the greater good.

~

Xander: "My ex-girlfriend may want to feed my guts to a hell-beast, but she's the only one who might know how to stop our resident pyromaniac."

~

With her newly regained demon-y powers, Anya teleports into Buffy's living room, overhearing the last bit of Xander's mini-rant. She tells him she doesn't want to feed his guts to hell-beast, but at this point she may settle with letting a toe-biting demon playing with his feet for awhile. The now ex-human's welcome isn't exactly warm, and tension is high between everyone in the house. But Dawn broaches the subject about the fire-crazed demon that seems to be after Buffy. After hearing Buffy's description, Anya immediately tells them they're dealing with a Grifaldi demon.

~

Anya: "Half-human, half-demons. Highly devoted to whatever they worship. Pretty much a lower being when it comes to demons. But they're strong. And they never give up. Oh, and they can create fire by using their minds."

Buffy: "I noticed that."

~

At a loss for what to do, and with no plan, Xander suggests they switch on the news to see if the Grifaldi demon is wracking havoc elsewhere. Just as he suspected, there's a news report about mysterious fires popping up all over Sunnydale. Near the hospital, by the police station. Buffy realizes that this demon is trying to throw their town into anarchy, and if it isn't stopped soon, it will succeed.

Across the pond, morning has come, and Giles and Willow are nervously awaiting to be called into the trial room that sits in the heart of the Watcher's Council's head quarters in London. Willow is antsy, afraid that the Council might not agree with their points and the Devon Coven's claims that she is well again. She wonders why they even have to make the final decision. Giles explains to her that she violated many laws when she delved into the black arts, and the Council is the most powerful driving force in the supernatural world, and so it's within their jurisdiction to watch over not just the Slayer, but other major players in the supernatural realm.

Once on trial, Quentin Travers and other high-up officials in the Council question Willow quite harshly about the events that occurred in Sunnydale just months before. They probe into Tara's untimely death, and ask Willow what truly motivated her into going so deep into the black arts. They even so much as reach all the way back to asking Willow just why she decided to resurrect Buffy in the first place, noting that has her first step into dangerous territory. Willow has a break down of sorts, and can only mumble apologies over and over through her tears.

Giles and the Devon Coven come to her defense. Giles pleads with the Council that Willow has suffered enough. She lost someone she deeply loved, and in a brutal, off-hand kind of way. Giles tells the Council that he knows exactly how she must have felt. His old girlfriend, Jenny Calendar was killed in much the same manner, and he felt the intense burning desire for revenge. The Devon Coven explains to the Council that, as witnesses, they can testify that Willow has been cleansed of all dark magicks, and that she has progressed remarkably. After a tense and heavy moment, Quentin finally agrees to let Willow return home, under Giles's care.

In Sunnydale, Buffy asks Anya if she will stay at the house and look after Dawn, who complains that she's practically sixteen years old and can defend herself now. But Buffy tells her that she isn't ready for something this dangerous, and that if something should come up, then Anya can teleport to Buffy to let her know. Dawn reluctantly agrees, and Buffy and Xander head out into different sections of town to search for the Grifaldi demon. For a time, their searches are fruitless. They seem to be one step behind the demon at every place they come to. Fires are quickly spreading everywhere in Sunnydale, and the police and fire forces are working double time to try and keep people safe. Finally, Buffy hits pay dirt when she finds the Grifaldi demon skulking around near the Bronze.

Turns out, Buffy's suspicions were true. The Grifaldi demon tells her that he is one of many, that there are "hundreds of other followers of the Higher Powers". And that they're all priming themselves for the destruction of Sunnydale. But Buffy is adamant in telling the demon he won't succeed.

~

Buffy: "This is my town. And I make the rules."

Grifaldi demon: "Not anymore. Soon, you will answer to the Ancient Ones."

~

Buffy and the Grifaldi fight for a second time, and Buffy seems to gain the upper hand, if only for a moment. Then, in a sudden movement, the Grifaldi grips Buffy by the neck, and smoke starts to rise from her skin. He slowly begins to burn her, and she almost doesn't escape. She kicks him where it counts, allowing herself to be freed, with a very nasty sun-burn like mark on her lower neck. The demon threatens that this isn't over between them, and that he has other plans for them. The demon takes off, and Buffy is completely shaken. She nearly died just then. Xander arrives, and tells him he couldn't locate the demon, but Buffy tells him she had an extremely close encounter of her own, but the demon has disappeared.

At Casa de Summers, Dawn and Anya sit in the living room in a sort of awkward silence. Neither of them talk much. Dawn finally quietly thanks Anya for helping her and Buffy out, that she appreciates it. Anya explains that she doesn't have anything against Buffy.

~

Anya: "I'm not exactly fond of her choice for having a knock-down drag-out fight to the death with Willow in my former workplace, but I guess I can't blame her for doing her own job, right?"

~

Dawn insists that she's still grateful for everything Anya is doing. She admits that Anya is being pretty cool about the whole Xander situation. It's clear that Anya is still confused about their relationship, and she tells Dawn she doesn't want to talk about that, that it only brings up bad memories. Dawn apologizes, and tells her that someday things will get better for all of them.

~

Dawn: "One of these days, it has to get better. Right?…Right?"

~

But Anya only stays silent.

Buffy and Xander find themselves at an outside clinic set up to help any burn victims, and a paramedic tends to Buffy's wounds. She and Xander discuss how things seem so much harder than they used to be. They reminisce about the old days, back when they were in high school, when things had almost seemed normal. They've gone through so much, and it's far from over. Buffy tells Xander that she's glad she has a dedicated friend like him to stand by her. Xander starts to reply, but a frantic Anya suddenly appears nearby, and rushes over to tell them that Buffy's house is being attacked. The Grifaldi demon has brought some of his demon friends over and plans to ransack Buffy's house. Mortified that Dawn is in danger, Buffy sprints back towards home, leaving Xander and Anya alone. Anya only so much as gives Xander a fleeting glance, her eyes speaking volumes, but before either of them say anything, Anya disappears.

Back at the Summers residence, Dawn screams as a fireball slams through the living room window, instantly igniting the entire room. The demons are pounding on the front door, and finally, the Grifaldi demon smashes through it. Dawn confronts it in the front hall, but the demon swats the girl away easily. Three other demons follow him into the house. The Grifaldi tells them to take whatever they want, and then get out – this place is going to become a pile of ashes.

A moment or two later, Buffy dashes across her front lawn, and into the house. The fire that started in the living room is now raging out of control, and spreading into other parts of the house. She frantically calls for Dawn, and finds her sprawled on the floor in the dining room, unconscious. Anya appears a moment later, and Buffy demands she get Dawn out of the house. Anya complies, and Buffy rushes up the stairs and finds the Grifaldi and his demon pals picking through all of the stuff in all the bedrooms.

~

Buffy: "Didn't your mothers ever teach you that stealing is bad? Or was she too busy trying to figure out how to destroy the world?"

~

A fight breaks loose, and Buffy barely manages to dodge more fireballs fired at her from the Grifaldi as she tries to fend off the other demons. She successfully downs two of the four demons, and the other two flee through the windows of the upstairs bedrooms, shattering out the windows, leaving only Buffy and the Grifaldi standing face to face in the upstairs hall. They fight viciously, and the fires spread even more. Buffy begins to cough from smoke inhalation. With one desperate kick, she sends the Grifaldi flying backwards into her mom's old bedroom, and the demon is engulfed in his own flames, roaring in pain. With no escape route, Buffy's only way out is through her bedroom window, so she leaps over a small wall of fire, and tumbles out the window and to the ground.

As Dawn, Anya, and a recently arrived Xander go to Buffy's side to help her to her feet, they all watch as the Summers house is completely overtaken by fire. Sirens sound in the distance, as fire trucks barge in to try and save the day, but they know it's too late. Parts of the house are already collapsing in. The place has been thoroughly destroyed. Silently, Buffy looks on as her home continues to burn, and before she knows it, tears are in her eyes.

Over at Giles's place in England, the Watcher and Willow are packing their things in preparation to head back to Sunnydale soon. Willow is anxious to get back home and see her friends again. She tells Giles that she's gone through so much, and she wants them to be a part of her life again. She's ready for things to start getting back to normal.

~

Giles: "Normal? In Sunnydale? I didn't know such a thing existed there."

Willow: "Okay, normal for a town that sits over the mouth of Hell."

~

In the outskirts of Sunnydale, a motorcycle roars down a dark, desolate road. The bike comes to a slow stop just beside a large sign that reads "Now Entering Sunnydale". The rider takes off his helmet, revealing himself to be none other than Spike, the bleached-blond vampire, who has returned to Sunnydale…different. He manages to crack a smile, and mumbles to himself, "Home sweet home…", then snaps the helmet back on, before speeding down the road again further into town.

-End of Episode 7.1-

Be sure to check back soon for 7.2: Death and Taxes! Coming soon!