Buffy rubs her eyes as she heads downstairs. Her mom is watching television.
"hey," says Buffy.
"hey sleepy head. Good morning."
"ga," she attempts to speak, "what time is it?"
"8:30."
"You didn't tell me the power went out. Don't let me forget to reset it."
"You came home after I went to bed. Buffy, you weren't at the hataway Cemetery last night were you?"
Buffy freezes in her tracks, "Why?"
"some people were killed. Shhh, here it is," Joyce points the television remote and highers the volume.
The news anchor begins...
"Good morning, I'm Randy Anderson and this is the 8:30 news. We begin with our top story this morning. another body was found in the Hathaway Cemetery last night. Officer Charles Kamen made the grusome discovery in the early morning hours after an annonymous phone tip. It's the second body in two nights at this particular cemetery. Police have identified the victim as twenty-four year old Sunnydale resident Katheryn Graham. Police suspect it to be the same person who killed Franklin Dunn the previous night. We interviewed officer Kamn an hour ago and here is what he has to say:
"I found the body laying up against a plot marker. It was about 3:30. The victim was dead upon my arrival. Victim was still warm to the touch, so I attempted to ressussitate her, to no avail. She had one stab wound tp her chest. so, I believe the cause of death is pretty obvious. We found three sets of shoeprints. one female, one male and the other was unidentifiable. this could be some sort of cult, or group killing. There's a real sick person out there. Travel in groups and avoid going out at night alone."
The Hathaway Cemetery is closed pending further investigatioin. Kamen also added thta at this time they have no suspects. If you have any information reguarding this, you are incouraged to call the Sunnydale Police department at the number on the bottom of the screen. they ask that we iterate that you can remain annonymous. Our heart-felt condolences go out to the Dunn and Graham families.
In other news..."
"It's just, it's just unbelievable that s0meone could do that to another human being. Don't they have any remorse? Buffy, do you have any idea who did it?"
"Not yet, but I'm working on it," she answers.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"
"Mom, it's Saturday. You sure your power didn't go out," Buffy teases.with a smile.
"Oh, that's right. I don't know what I was thinking."
"That's okay, I forgive you. you were having a grown-up moment."
Joyce turnbs to face Buffy heading to the front door, "Very funny. Where are you heading so early in the morning?"
"I'm gonna meet Giles at the library."
"On a Saturday?"
"Being a slayer means sometimes having to work weekends. Willow and Xander might join me. I'll see you later."
"Bye. Say hi to Willow and Xander for me."
Xander stops at a red light. Buffy looks at the steering wheel.
"I don't suppose I could drive?"
"No."
"Pretty please," she persuades with a cute voice.
"Hummm, let me think - no."
"Why not?"
"I heard about your little SUV escapade last year. Hot ah, no way. you know I love you Buff, but the Xandermobile is off limits."
"Technically it was six months ago and in my defense, Snyder was in the back seat and he was really, really annoying. I'd be hell on wheels. I could RUN the vampires over!" she turns to Xander with an excited look on her face. Xander looks at her with an eye brow raised. "Or I could NOT do that," gives a little michivous grin.
Xander stoips his car in front of Willo's house. Willow comes running from the steps. she has on a red, short sleeved shirt amd blue jean overalls. she is also carrying a few books. she opens the back door.
"Hey, how come you get the front?" she asks Buffy.
"I'm the Slayer."
"Point taken," she closes the door.
"Willow, what's up with all the school books?" asks Xander. He pulls back into the street.
"I thought we could study. got some History to catch up on."
"Study? Willow, it's a weekend. It's that special time of the week where we don't have to think about school."
"We don't necessarily have to think of school. Just think of it as your undying thirst for knowledge," retorts Willow.
"I don't want to study, I want to save the world. It';s too early in the morning to think. My brain doesn't function properly till after noon."
They come up to Sunnydale High. He parks in a teacher's spot.
"I've always wanted to do that."
They enter the school and head for the library. A few stray teachers and students working on after school projects were about. And a couple of janitors.
"Oz!" Willow calls out upon opening the double library doors. she runs over and huges him. Xander looks to the side.
"I missed you too. It's been almost ... a day," says Oz.
"I didn't think you'd be hear," says a still exstatic Willow.
"My drummer called in sick last night, so I had no plans for today."
"Glad you could join us," says Giles.
"Same here buddy," says Xander.
"Now Buffy, what did you find last night?" asks Giles.
Wesley clears his throat.
"Oh bloody hell, have at it," Giles speaks in a low tone as he passes Pryce, "you really are a bit of apretentious fop aren't you?"
Wesley claps his hands together and smiles a cocky, self assured smile. "Now ... Buffy, what did you find last night?"
"Well," she begins. she looks at Giles, "Faith was there. she was holding a knife. It was covered in blood, but she claimed there had been a man there."
Wesley moves into Buffy's line-of-sight and sticks his hand up with the second fingeronly pointing up.
"So, do you think Faith could have done that?" Giles walks around the talbe.
"I don't know," she follows him with her head. Wesley waves his arms up and down in a friutless attempt to focus her attention apon him.
"See, she's evil. So there," says Willow in a 'I told you so' tone.
"Hello, over here. I banged evil," says Xander aloud without thought of his choice of words.
"I'm still sleeping right?" says Oz.
"At the time I thought I caught her in the act, but now that I am thinking back, I'm not sure. but there was something else. someone copied my footprints and put them all around the first victim's site. Giles, someone's trying to frame me for murder."
Giles takes a stern and very serious manner, "Are you sure?"
"Positive. but I..." Wesley cuts her off in mid speech.
"Now wait a minute! Frame you for murder?! Buffy, this is an extremely grave and urgant matter. how do you plan to rectify this?" an irate Wesley exclaims.
"Did he say rectal?" Xander leans in and asks Oz.
"No, rectify," Oz replies.
"What's the difference?"
"The letter "A" and a couple other letters."
"What happened to the other two letters then?"
Oz whispers without even cracking a smile, "Character assassination."
Willow shushes them.
"We need to know what the police have, but I'm not quite sure how to do, so..." she trails off in hopes someone will finish her thought.
"I cna do," says Willow. they all look at her, she continues, "I can hack into the database. I'll print a copy out."
"No!!! Absolutely not! Breaking into a police head quarters mainframe? That might be a federal offense. I cannot allow you to do that. I'm putting my foot down," he lifts his chin and stands firm.
Bufy stands up and looks at him with impatience.
"Figuritively speaking ... please don't step on my foot," Wesley cowers.
"Wesley, unless you have a better idea..." says Buffy.
"Ah, well..." he trails off.
"Willow, go ahead."
"I didn't bring my lap top with me."
"That's all right. Do it when you get home. Giles, any luck identifying the swamp thing?" asks Buffy.
"Wesley and I have been scouring the books using the description you gave me, but thus far we haven't found anything matching it. We'll keep trying though."
"Good. Thgat thing attacked me when I came near the first victim Thursday night. It might not be a coinscidence. Oz, you wanna come with us tonight?"
"No ploblem. Nighthawk, coming with us?"
"Nighthawk?" inquires Wesley.
Xander elbows Oz, "Shhh!"
Faith lays on her large plush bed reading a magazine. A knock comes to her door. she jumps up, tossing the magazine and races to open the door.
"Hey you!"
"Ahhh and how's my little darling doing?" asks Wilkins. He gives her a quick huge and kisses her on her forehead.
"5 by 5. Wht';s in the bag boss?" she asks.
"Faith, your like family to me. Call me daddy."
She smiles really big showing her teeth. Itchy with anticipation she bounces a bit.
"I don't know about that daddy thing. how about just dad.?"
"Daddy's so much cuter," he raises his arms up and out in persuation with a smile, "dad's alright by me. I brought you something."
"What? Dont' make me guess, I hate guessing."
"Jiffy Pop! It's as fun to makew as it is to eat!" he exclaims.
Faith laughs as she closes the door behind him.
"Check this out - I saw the iller last night. You want me to kill him, dad?"
"Faith, honey, this is strictly a pleasure visit. I was hoping we could have fun. If I really was only interested in your services, I would have called you instead. Let's save all that nasty killing stuff for the office shall we? Besides, I don't want you going out and killing everyone. What if he's not the killer, but rather a registered voter? I mean, if heaven forbid the Ascension doesn't go as planned, gosh darnit, next year is a re-election year and every single vote counts," he walks over to the stove.
"Microwaves over to your left," says Faith.
"Oh, sweetie no, the Jiffy Pop handles are metal. You'll destroy the microwave. besides, it takes all the fun out of the Jiffy Pop experince."
"You are the bomb D."
He heats up the stove, "Bomb? Is that a good thing? Honestly, these kids nowadays have the strangest insults. Back in my day they were simple. Polly Woggle, Tally Whack, Yankie."
He hovers his hand over the stove top to feel the temperature. his hand catches fire. He moves it away and examies the melted flesh. It slowly heals and all traces vanish.
"You know I have always wondered what that felt like," The Mayor says.
"How did it feel?" asks Faith.
"Hot."
"How old are you anyway? If you don't minjd me asking?"
"Gosh, let's just say I've already celebrated my centennial. My how the decades pass. Nack in my day you coudln't even buy a coke, candy bar and a movie for fifty cents - The didn't even exist! You ready? Just take your hand and hold the handle. At a nice and steady pace, rotate it over the burner. Trust me."
She does so. A few minutes later it starts popping and the Jiffy Corn Dome starts forming.
"Dad, it's gonna blow. I'm telling you."
Almost unaturally giddy wioth excitement he responds, "Keep going!"
"Top's breaking open! It's gonna explode," she looks away. nothing happens and she looks back. "I thought it would..."
"I know, it's great isn't it? This is what modern technology has brought us. Fantastic if you aks me."
"Can I get yo ua soda?" Faith asks Wilkins.
"You got some fruit juice? I'm watching my caffenice intake."
She pours him a glass of fruit punch and gets hersefl a can of regualr soda. she plops a few ice cubes into the punch and she brisks over to the Mayor.
"Where do you want to sit?" she asks.
"Anywhere! The bed, the floor, the coutch. where ever my little precious wants."
"Alright then ... here!" and they both race each other to sit down on the carpet. Wilkins sets his punch to the side and reaches into his inner lapel of his brown suit. He pulls our a disinfectant wipe and cleans his hands.
"Ummm, sweet, sweet buttery heaven," he remarks as he has some Ultimate Butter Microwave Popcorn.
"You know boss, if some one had told me a year ago that I'd pack up, haul off to some no name town, become a Slayer and play the second in command to the town's wicked cool Mayor, I would have called them crazy," Faith comments while eating popcorn.
"That's one of time's great little foibles - change. Take for instance that just a minute ago there wasn't popcorn being thrown at you," he says.
"What?"
"Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop..." he says as he throws little pieces at her.
"Oh no you just didn't boss man. I;m gonna pop you," Faith joins in on the fun.
They both toss popcorn at each other. Laughing and having a genuinly good time.
Buffy, Willow and Oz all walk the streets of Sunnydale, making their way toward Hathaway Cemetery.
"Gee, it's awful quiet out here," says Willow.
"I know, this Ascension thing has them clearing out pretty good. It's like there's a Blue Light sale in a L.A. K-Mart, or something," replies Buffy.
"It's like that scene in Men In Black where Zed shows a screen of the U.S. and little tiny lines indicating alien ship evacuating Earth from this giant cockroach in a farmer's bodey," Oz says.
"You don't think the Mayor will turn himself into a giant cockroach do you? What woudl we do?" asks Willow.
"I don't know," he replies, "it's a possibility. We may have to call the Orkin Man."
"Boy Oz, sure gald we brought you along. It's not everday I get to hear about giant roaches," Buffy looks at him.
"Don't worry, we can step on it," he says.
"Step on it?" asks Buffy.
"It's a joke," he replies back.
"I don't get it. I want to get it," says Willow.
"Garry Larson?" he says. They look at him, "no? Never mind."
"Seriously, why don't you come patroling with us more often? I mean, I know we got to lock you in a cage some nights, but still, you should."
"I did for a few months there while you took a Slayer Sabbatical. It was okay. Just thought I'd leave it to the trained patheticals. I'm more of a part time Slayerette. saving the world on occassion."
They all slow down.
"You guys all seeing this?" asks Oz.
"Yeah," says Buffy uneasily.
An ambulance and three squad cars are parked in front of the cemetery.
"You guys stay here, I;m going to go find out what's up," Buffy says as she takes off.
"Be careful Buffy," Willow calls out.
She walks off toward the scene.
"Will you look at that," comments Willow on the spectical.
"I know," Oz looks at the sight sensing danger, "this doesn't look good."
Buffy walks up to an officer who has his back to her and is talking to a witness.
"Excuss me,": she taps him on his left shoulder, "can you tell me what's..."
The officer turns around. It is officer Kamen.
"Hello," says Buffy.
"Miss Summers right? What are you doing out at this hour?"
"Me anbd my friends over there are just going for a walk. What happened here?"
"It's a real shame, another man was killed here. Just recently too. Do you and your friends always go for late night walks?" inquires a suspicious Kamen.
"Technically, it's early morning, but yes. We do this quite often," she rpelies back.
"Looks like you guys were walking straight for here. That's the second time in two nights. It is of my own advisory thgat for yoy and your friends own personal safety, to stay off the streets after midnight. At least until the killer is caught. Now, I can understand you wanting to pay your respects to your late teacher. I can even understand if that's the friend you mentioned the other night and if she didn't show up and you three are now making another trip for Miss Calander, but I dont' want to see you here again. Do you understand me?" he orders her in a commanding voice.
"Yeah," she replies.
"That's yes sir," he corrects her. His southern accent showing.
"Yes sir."
"You can go about you business. you and your friends be careful. Good night Miss Summers."
She slowly moves off and heads for her friends. Kamen watches her go. He looks down. He sees the footprints she left in the trailing edges of the cemetery dirt. He turns, whistles and signals for someone to come over. A man with a neckstrap comera runs over.
"Buffy, what happened? You look all tense," asks Willow.
"Come on you guys, let's go. Don't look at him."
"I take it somebody else was Ginsued," says Oz.
"That's three people. Something about that cop rubs me the wrong way," Buffy says to Oz and Willow.
"You were returning to the crime scene. he's probably just doing his job."
"I don't know. Let's go home."
"Buffy, what about patroling?" asks Willow with a concerned look in her face. she holds onto Oz's right arm a little tightly.
"It will have to wait. It's not safe out here tonight. We're going to have a meeting tomorrow. You two be at the library. I'll call Xander and make sure he brings Cordillia. If anyone should ask before then, we were going to visit Miss Calander's grave. And Willow, I had called you yesterday about it as well."
"No you didn't ... oh! I see."
"Buffy, you just put him in the cage with me and I'll eat him," comments Oz.
"Thanks for the offer. I'll consider it. Really."
"hey," says Buffy.
"hey sleepy head. Good morning."
"ga," she attempts to speak, "what time is it?"
"8:30."
"You didn't tell me the power went out. Don't let me forget to reset it."
"You came home after I went to bed. Buffy, you weren't at the hataway Cemetery last night were you?"
Buffy freezes in her tracks, "Why?"
"some people were killed. Shhh, here it is," Joyce points the television remote and highers the volume.
The news anchor begins...
"Good morning, I'm Randy Anderson and this is the 8:30 news. We begin with our top story this morning. another body was found in the Hathaway Cemetery last night. Officer Charles Kamen made the grusome discovery in the early morning hours after an annonymous phone tip. It's the second body in two nights at this particular cemetery. Police have identified the victim as twenty-four year old Sunnydale resident Katheryn Graham. Police suspect it to be the same person who killed Franklin Dunn the previous night. We interviewed officer Kamn an hour ago and here is what he has to say:
"I found the body laying up against a plot marker. It was about 3:30. The victim was dead upon my arrival. Victim was still warm to the touch, so I attempted to ressussitate her, to no avail. She had one stab wound tp her chest. so, I believe the cause of death is pretty obvious. We found three sets of shoeprints. one female, one male and the other was unidentifiable. this could be some sort of cult, or group killing. There's a real sick person out there. Travel in groups and avoid going out at night alone."
The Hathaway Cemetery is closed pending further investigatioin. Kamen also added thta at this time they have no suspects. If you have any information reguarding this, you are incouraged to call the Sunnydale Police department at the number on the bottom of the screen. they ask that we iterate that you can remain annonymous. Our heart-felt condolences go out to the Dunn and Graham families.
In other news..."
"It's just, it's just unbelievable that s0meone could do that to another human being. Don't they have any remorse? Buffy, do you have any idea who did it?"
"Not yet, but I'm working on it," she answers.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"
"Mom, it's Saturday. You sure your power didn't go out," Buffy teases.with a smile.
"Oh, that's right. I don't know what I was thinking."
"That's okay, I forgive you. you were having a grown-up moment."
Joyce turnbs to face Buffy heading to the front door, "Very funny. Where are you heading so early in the morning?"
"I'm gonna meet Giles at the library."
"On a Saturday?"
"Being a slayer means sometimes having to work weekends. Willow and Xander might join me. I'll see you later."
"Bye. Say hi to Willow and Xander for me."
Xander stops at a red light. Buffy looks at the steering wheel.
"I don't suppose I could drive?"
"No."
"Pretty please," she persuades with a cute voice.
"Hummm, let me think - no."
"Why not?"
"I heard about your little SUV escapade last year. Hot ah, no way. you know I love you Buff, but the Xandermobile is off limits."
"Technically it was six months ago and in my defense, Snyder was in the back seat and he was really, really annoying. I'd be hell on wheels. I could RUN the vampires over!" she turns to Xander with an excited look on her face. Xander looks at her with an eye brow raised. "Or I could NOT do that," gives a little michivous grin.
Xander stoips his car in front of Willo's house. Willow comes running from the steps. she has on a red, short sleeved shirt amd blue jean overalls. she is also carrying a few books. she opens the back door.
"Hey, how come you get the front?" she asks Buffy.
"I'm the Slayer."
"Point taken," she closes the door.
"Willow, what's up with all the school books?" asks Xander. He pulls back into the street.
"I thought we could study. got some History to catch up on."
"Study? Willow, it's a weekend. It's that special time of the week where we don't have to think about school."
"We don't necessarily have to think of school. Just think of it as your undying thirst for knowledge," retorts Willow.
"I don't want to study, I want to save the world. It';s too early in the morning to think. My brain doesn't function properly till after noon."
They come up to Sunnydale High. He parks in a teacher's spot.
"I've always wanted to do that."
They enter the school and head for the library. A few stray teachers and students working on after school projects were about. And a couple of janitors.
"Oz!" Willow calls out upon opening the double library doors. she runs over and huges him. Xander looks to the side.
"I missed you too. It's been almost ... a day," says Oz.
"I didn't think you'd be hear," says a still exstatic Willow.
"My drummer called in sick last night, so I had no plans for today."
"Glad you could join us," says Giles.
"Same here buddy," says Xander.
"Now Buffy, what did you find last night?" asks Giles.
Wesley clears his throat.
"Oh bloody hell, have at it," Giles speaks in a low tone as he passes Pryce, "you really are a bit of apretentious fop aren't you?"
Wesley claps his hands together and smiles a cocky, self assured smile. "Now ... Buffy, what did you find last night?"
"Well," she begins. she looks at Giles, "Faith was there. she was holding a knife. It was covered in blood, but she claimed there had been a man there."
Wesley moves into Buffy's line-of-sight and sticks his hand up with the second fingeronly pointing up.
"So, do you think Faith could have done that?" Giles walks around the talbe.
"I don't know," she follows him with her head. Wesley waves his arms up and down in a friutless attempt to focus her attention apon him.
"See, she's evil. So there," says Willow in a 'I told you so' tone.
"Hello, over here. I banged evil," says Xander aloud without thought of his choice of words.
"I'm still sleeping right?" says Oz.
"At the time I thought I caught her in the act, but now that I am thinking back, I'm not sure. but there was something else. someone copied my footprints and put them all around the first victim's site. Giles, someone's trying to frame me for murder."
Giles takes a stern and very serious manner, "Are you sure?"
"Positive. but I..." Wesley cuts her off in mid speech.
"Now wait a minute! Frame you for murder?! Buffy, this is an extremely grave and urgant matter. how do you plan to rectify this?" an irate Wesley exclaims.
"Did he say rectal?" Xander leans in and asks Oz.
"No, rectify," Oz replies.
"What's the difference?"
"The letter "A" and a couple other letters."
"What happened to the other two letters then?"
Oz whispers without even cracking a smile, "Character assassination."
Willow shushes them.
"We need to know what the police have, but I'm not quite sure how to do, so..." she trails off in hopes someone will finish her thought.
"I cna do," says Willow. they all look at her, she continues, "I can hack into the database. I'll print a copy out."
"No!!! Absolutely not! Breaking into a police head quarters mainframe? That might be a federal offense. I cannot allow you to do that. I'm putting my foot down," he lifts his chin and stands firm.
Bufy stands up and looks at him with impatience.
"Figuritively speaking ... please don't step on my foot," Wesley cowers.
"Wesley, unless you have a better idea..." says Buffy.
"Ah, well..." he trails off.
"Willow, go ahead."
"I didn't bring my lap top with me."
"That's all right. Do it when you get home. Giles, any luck identifying the swamp thing?" asks Buffy.
"Wesley and I have been scouring the books using the description you gave me, but thus far we haven't found anything matching it. We'll keep trying though."
"Good. Thgat thing attacked me when I came near the first victim Thursday night. It might not be a coinscidence. Oz, you wanna come with us tonight?"
"No ploblem. Nighthawk, coming with us?"
"Nighthawk?" inquires Wesley.
Xander elbows Oz, "Shhh!"
Faith lays on her large plush bed reading a magazine. A knock comes to her door. she jumps up, tossing the magazine and races to open the door.
"Hey you!"
"Ahhh and how's my little darling doing?" asks Wilkins. He gives her a quick huge and kisses her on her forehead.
"5 by 5. Wht';s in the bag boss?" she asks.
"Faith, your like family to me. Call me daddy."
She smiles really big showing her teeth. Itchy with anticipation she bounces a bit.
"I don't know about that daddy thing. how about just dad.?"
"Daddy's so much cuter," he raises his arms up and out in persuation with a smile, "dad's alright by me. I brought you something."
"What? Dont' make me guess, I hate guessing."
"Jiffy Pop! It's as fun to makew as it is to eat!" he exclaims.
Faith laughs as she closes the door behind him.
"Check this out - I saw the iller last night. You want me to kill him, dad?"
"Faith, honey, this is strictly a pleasure visit. I was hoping we could have fun. If I really was only interested in your services, I would have called you instead. Let's save all that nasty killing stuff for the office shall we? Besides, I don't want you going out and killing everyone. What if he's not the killer, but rather a registered voter? I mean, if heaven forbid the Ascension doesn't go as planned, gosh darnit, next year is a re-election year and every single vote counts," he walks over to the stove.
"Microwaves over to your left," says Faith.
"Oh, sweetie no, the Jiffy Pop handles are metal. You'll destroy the microwave. besides, it takes all the fun out of the Jiffy Pop experince."
"You are the bomb D."
He heats up the stove, "Bomb? Is that a good thing? Honestly, these kids nowadays have the strangest insults. Back in my day they were simple. Polly Woggle, Tally Whack, Yankie."
He hovers his hand over the stove top to feel the temperature. his hand catches fire. He moves it away and examies the melted flesh. It slowly heals and all traces vanish.
"You know I have always wondered what that felt like," The Mayor says.
"How did it feel?" asks Faith.
"Hot."
"How old are you anyway? If you don't minjd me asking?"
"Gosh, let's just say I've already celebrated my centennial. My how the decades pass. Nack in my day you coudln't even buy a coke, candy bar and a movie for fifty cents - The didn't even exist! You ready? Just take your hand and hold the handle. At a nice and steady pace, rotate it over the burner. Trust me."
She does so. A few minutes later it starts popping and the Jiffy Corn Dome starts forming.
"Dad, it's gonna blow. I'm telling you."
Almost unaturally giddy wioth excitement he responds, "Keep going!"
"Top's breaking open! It's gonna explode," she looks away. nothing happens and she looks back. "I thought it would..."
"I know, it's great isn't it? This is what modern technology has brought us. Fantastic if you aks me."
"Can I get yo ua soda?" Faith asks Wilkins.
"You got some fruit juice? I'm watching my caffenice intake."
She pours him a glass of fruit punch and gets hersefl a can of regualr soda. she plops a few ice cubes into the punch and she brisks over to the Mayor.
"Where do you want to sit?" she asks.
"Anywhere! The bed, the floor, the coutch. where ever my little precious wants."
"Alright then ... here!" and they both race each other to sit down on the carpet. Wilkins sets his punch to the side and reaches into his inner lapel of his brown suit. He pulls our a disinfectant wipe and cleans his hands.
"Ummm, sweet, sweet buttery heaven," he remarks as he has some Ultimate Butter Microwave Popcorn.
"You know boss, if some one had told me a year ago that I'd pack up, haul off to some no name town, become a Slayer and play the second in command to the town's wicked cool Mayor, I would have called them crazy," Faith comments while eating popcorn.
"That's one of time's great little foibles - change. Take for instance that just a minute ago there wasn't popcorn being thrown at you," he says.
"What?"
"Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop..." he says as he throws little pieces at her.
"Oh no you just didn't boss man. I;m gonna pop you," Faith joins in on the fun.
They both toss popcorn at each other. Laughing and having a genuinly good time.
Buffy, Willow and Oz all walk the streets of Sunnydale, making their way toward Hathaway Cemetery.
"Gee, it's awful quiet out here," says Willow.
"I know, this Ascension thing has them clearing out pretty good. It's like there's a Blue Light sale in a L.A. K-Mart, or something," replies Buffy.
"It's like that scene in Men In Black where Zed shows a screen of the U.S. and little tiny lines indicating alien ship evacuating Earth from this giant cockroach in a farmer's bodey," Oz says.
"You don't think the Mayor will turn himself into a giant cockroach do you? What woudl we do?" asks Willow.
"I don't know," he replies, "it's a possibility. We may have to call the Orkin Man."
"Boy Oz, sure gald we brought you along. It's not everday I get to hear about giant roaches," Buffy looks at him.
"Don't worry, we can step on it," he says.
"Step on it?" asks Buffy.
"It's a joke," he replies back.
"I don't get it. I want to get it," says Willow.
"Garry Larson?" he says. They look at him, "no? Never mind."
"Seriously, why don't you come patroling with us more often? I mean, I know we got to lock you in a cage some nights, but still, you should."
"I did for a few months there while you took a Slayer Sabbatical. It was okay. Just thought I'd leave it to the trained patheticals. I'm more of a part time Slayerette. saving the world on occassion."
They all slow down.
"You guys all seeing this?" asks Oz.
"Yeah," says Buffy uneasily.
An ambulance and three squad cars are parked in front of the cemetery.
"You guys stay here, I;m going to go find out what's up," Buffy says as she takes off.
"Be careful Buffy," Willow calls out.
She walks off toward the scene.
"Will you look at that," comments Willow on the spectical.
"I know," Oz looks at the sight sensing danger, "this doesn't look good."
Buffy walks up to an officer who has his back to her and is talking to a witness.
"Excuss me,": she taps him on his left shoulder, "can you tell me what's..."
The officer turns around. It is officer Kamen.
"Hello," says Buffy.
"Miss Summers right? What are you doing out at this hour?"
"Me anbd my friends over there are just going for a walk. What happened here?"
"It's a real shame, another man was killed here. Just recently too. Do you and your friends always go for late night walks?" inquires a suspicious Kamen.
"Technically, it's early morning, but yes. We do this quite often," she rpelies back.
"Looks like you guys were walking straight for here. That's the second time in two nights. It is of my own advisory thgat for yoy and your friends own personal safety, to stay off the streets after midnight. At least until the killer is caught. Now, I can understand you wanting to pay your respects to your late teacher. I can even understand if that's the friend you mentioned the other night and if she didn't show up and you three are now making another trip for Miss Calander, but I dont' want to see you here again. Do you understand me?" he orders her in a commanding voice.
"Yeah," she replies.
"That's yes sir," he corrects her. His southern accent showing.
"Yes sir."
"You can go about you business. you and your friends be careful. Good night Miss Summers."
She slowly moves off and heads for her friends. Kamen watches her go. He looks down. He sees the footprints she left in the trailing edges of the cemetery dirt. He turns, whistles and signals for someone to come over. A man with a neckstrap comera runs over.
"Buffy, what happened? You look all tense," asks Willow.
"Come on you guys, let's go. Don't look at him."
"I take it somebody else was Ginsued," says Oz.
"That's three people. Something about that cop rubs me the wrong way," Buffy says to Oz and Willow.
"You were returning to the crime scene. he's probably just doing his job."
"I don't know. Let's go home."
"Buffy, what about patroling?" asks Willow with a concerned look in her face. she holds onto Oz's right arm a little tightly.
"It will have to wait. It's not safe out here tonight. We're going to have a meeting tomorrow. You two be at the library. I'll call Xander and make sure he brings Cordillia. If anyone should ask before then, we were going to visit Miss Calander's grave. And Willow, I had called you yesterday about it as well."
"No you didn't ... oh! I see."
"Buffy, you just put him in the cage with me and I'll eat him," comments Oz.
"Thanks for the offer. I'll consider it. Really."