ACT 2
CONTINUE WITH SAME SCENE.
You mean Buffy could become a vegetable again like last year? Only this time, for good?
I'm afraid that's a distinct possibility.
Dawn becomes even more visibly upset.
It's so different from last year. Last year, she was just a patient we were particularly fond of because she was our age. Now she's... Buffy! Our Buffy. And now it sounds too permanent...
No! It's not gonna happen! Giles, like you said, there's a reason we got here ahead of her. There has to be!
I like to think so, too, Dawn. Now what we have to do is make the most of getting here ahead of her.
Don't we just have to be here when she reaches the crossover point? I mean when she dies in the old universe? I mean, she wakes up here and sees us with our open arms and she'll know she'll be okay here.
Yes, Xander. That should be an important part of it.
Yeah. And Mom and Dad should be here too, right?
I definitely want them nearby, but we have to be careful. There's no telling what state of mind she'll be in if she does cross over. Seeing the four of us and both your parents all at once might be too much of a sensory overload, and drive her into the catatonic state that we're trying to avoid!
Giles, what about Audrey? Where does she fit into this?
Oh, my God! Audrey! I didn't even think about...
Unfortunately, as of when I looked in on her this morning, Audrey seems to still be bouncing freely back and forth between this world and our old one, but definitely not on the same timeline as Buffy. If we bring her into this equation, she'll be a loose cannon. Sorry, Xander. We'll have to deal with her some other time, but the fact that she's elsewhere on the timeline suggests that there's no pressing crisis.
I'm not sure, but bouncing back and forth like she does just might actually be her heavenly dimension!
That thought has occurred to me too.
At any rate, Dawn, we've got to bring your parents in on this, but in a way that we don't look like the four of us are bloody bonkers! Am I correct in assuming that you and they will be back on Sunday as usual?
Sunday afternoon after church, just like every Sunday for the last seven years.
That gives me a couple of days to come up with a cover story for them. And to tie up one more loose end....
INT THE LIVING ROOM OF THE SUMMERS HOME-- DUSK. Joyce and Hank sit together on the couch watching TV as Dawn enters the front door. They turn to look at her.
Hi, Honey! We're done dinner. Yours is in the fridge, you just have to nuke it.
So, Mom tells me you went to see Buffy. You must've stayed there till the end of visiting hours. Everything okay?
Dawn stands there in the foyer for several seconds, smiling with misty eyes, then goes up to the couch and wordlessly hugs and kisses the two of them separately, then seats herself between them.
Hey! Now what's brought this on?
Dawn, is Buffy okay?
Buffy's... the same.
Then what's brought this on?
Was it that dream last night?
Sort of....
It's made me realize what I have, and how I don't ever want to lose it!
INT AN APARTMENT DOORWAY looking outward. WILLIE, a brown-haired young man with his back to the camera, opens the door and we see Giles standing there.
Uncle Giles! What a coincidence! I was just about to call you.
Yes, Willie. And I think I can guess why.
Giles enters and closes the door. We continue not to see Willie's face.
I know as a relative I can't be your patient, so I was going to ask you if you could refer me to another psychiatrist or psychologist you work with.
Let me guess. You've had a strange dream that was so intense, you're not sure whether it was real or not. Almost as if you were in a parallel existence.
Uncle Giles! How... how do you...
And I was part of that dream! Not as your uncle, but as the Watcher of a little blonde haired girl named Buffy who is the Slayer of Vampires.
Willie collapses into the nearest chair.
Bloody Hell!
INT WILLOW'S AND XANDER'S APARTMENT-- NIGHT. Willow sits at a desk at an older-model iMac, surfing the web, a sad look on her face. Xander comes over from the kitchen and stands behind her, placing his arms around her and snuggling up.
Nothing?
No indication that the town of Sunnydale, California ever existed. On the map, it's just a stretch of beach and cliffs up the coast from Santa Barbara. And the coven in Devonshire, all my EMails to the various members came back with mailer daemon notices, saying the domains don't exist. A couple of their names turned up on Google, but with no indication that either of them has any association with Wicca.
This really is a different universe.
The only Tara Maclay I could find on the web is a 46 year old peach farmer from Augusta, Georgia, so it's obviously not her.
Sorry, Xander.
Oh, Will, no! It's okay. I loved Tara... our Tara too. I don't feel threatened by her memory in any way whatsoever.
Willow kisses him.
Thanks, Xand.
It's so strange. In this world, we've had this computer for three years, but I miss my laptop.
As strange as it is for us, Giles has to have it a lot worse. He's got more than twice as much of a lifetime as we do, to have two sets of memories of. He's even got a different name. At least Dawn's memories of growing up here in LA are the same in both worlds up through age ten. And she's younger.
Being younger makes it tougher. Plus she has that whole bogus memories thing from the other universe to deal with on top of this.
Hey, Will? Have you tried to do any spells here?
Yeah. I don't think I have any powers in this universe. I can't even do a simple levitation spell. Maybe it's a way for the Powers That Be to make me quit cold turkey.
Hey, Willow.
Yes, Xander?
I really meant what I said, about my heaven being having a romantic relationship with you.
I know.
Xander?
Yes, Willow?
"You can't always get what you want..."
INSERT THE COMPUTER SCREEN as Willow quits the web browser and puts the computer in Sleep mode.
"You can't always get what you want..."
She stands to face Xander. The two put their arms around each others' waists and nuzzle each other as he joins her singing and they work their way toward the bed.
"You can't always get what you want.
But if you try sometimes,
You just might find
You get what you need!"
They collapse onto the bed, laughing, kissing and caressing.
END ACT 2 INSERT COMMERCIAL BREAK.
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