Wolves at the Gate, Part I

Plot

Xander and Renee stand on the castle wall watching, through binoculars, the wolves roaming in a pack close by, their eyes glowing red. Xander passes the binoculars to Renee so that she can confirm what he sees – because, he admits, he can barely identify a swarm of bees. Renee looks through the binoculars.

She tells Xander that he does not have to do this. At first he does not understand. Well, after all, the last time she was on watch a horde of Scottish zombies fell upon the castle and she pretty much messed it up, says Renee. But that will not happen to her again, she assures him, so he does not have to babysit her – and, by the way, they really are wolves.

Wait a moment, says Xander. Nobody is babysitting anybody here. If anything, that is a fantasy… for some time… and only if they both agree… and have talked about it…

He is here entirely voluntarily. That seems to please Renee, but she still asks whether it is true. Sure – she should just look around: full moon, twinkling stars and, hey, a particularly great fog – who would want to be alone on a night like this?

Down in the fog the wolves move closer to the castle.

Buffy and Satsu lie naked under the sheets. Buffy’s only comment is “wow”. That describes it pretty well, says Satsu. Buffy thinks Satsu probably wants to say something more like “gotcha!”

Willow is flying Andrew to the castle. He clings to his suitcase and talks Willow’s ear off. She threatens that if he starts again with “can you read my mind”, she will drop him. She notes that most people scream and just hold on desperately when she flies them around. Andrew has taken tranquilisers, he says. Then he spots Dawn, or rather her feet. He is surprised she sleeps in a barn. She only does when it looks like rain, Willow explains. She sets Andrew down. She would have liked to give him a big tour, but because of the stuff he took Andrew is a little unsteady on his feet, so he had better go and find his bedroom (Andrew: “boudoir”) – he could use a quiet, undisturbed night.

The fog rises more and more and slowly envelops Willow. Then a figure appears behind Willow. The woman seizes Willow and presses her hands over her mouth.

Renee and Xander are still outside. She thinks there are better options. For what, Xander asks. Spending time together. Going out, for example. It takes Xander a moment to get it. Then he asks her with a smile whether she would go out with him. She would love to. Well then… But first they should take care of the wolf problem. Sure, only whom should they actually alert, Xander wonders – a zoo, and is there even such a thing in Scotland? No, Scotland is so primitive that the men still go hunting with clubs and the women wear corsets in bed, Renee says snippily. Xander no longer wants to go out with her.

The two go inside while the fog gets much thicker.

Buffy and Satsu lie in bed looking at each other. Satsu wonders what happens tomorrow. Buffy asks what she means. Well, Satsu knows that Buffy has not suddenly become gay. Exactly, Buffy admits, and then asks in a panic how she knows – did she do something wrong? Because this is new territory, and it is not as if there are manuals for this. Actually there are, Satsu says, amused. Okay, but she has not read them, Buffy replies. She had no time to prepare, and that should please be taken into account in the grading.

Buffy should trust her, she did nothing wrong. But she did not do enough – after all, Satsu did a lot more to her, Buffy notes. And Buffy let her, and it was wonderful, Satsu replies. Buffy can live with wonderful – and what was the question again? What tomorrow will bring, Satsu repeats.

Oh, she means the whole thing about them having slept together? For a start, yes. Buffy does not know. It was a nice night, and it has been a while since she could say that. Tomorrow she will think about it… and probably blush… and smile. But it probably will not become anything more. Satsu understands – they will leave it at “a nice night”. Satsu gets up, because she thinks she should leave. Buffy holds her back; that is not what she meant. Satsu can stay until morning, but she should do her a favour and please not tell anyone. Not because she is ashamed of it, but for now she would like to keep it between the two of them. That is fine with Satsu; she will not breathe a word.

The door opens.

It is probably nothing, but there is a little wolf-or-panther problem and maybe she should…, Xander begins as he opens the door to Buffy’s room.

From inside comes a startled scream: “Xander!” He stands frozen in the room staring at the two of them – all he can come up with is “Holy Zeus”, then he claps his hand over his good eye and swears he saw nothing at all. The next moment he is moaning about his poor eye.

From the corridor Renee asks what is going on now – should they raise the alarm? She comes into the room to Xander. He did not even know there was an alarm for this (it is not entirely clear which situation he means). Renee spots Satsu and Buffy in bed. Satsu, embarrassed, pulls the sheets higher and says “Hi”. Buffy has grabbed her knickers and in her panic falls out of bed while screaming at them to close the door!

Now a sleepy Andrew in a nightcap comes in too. He admits that he is still woozy from the medication, but he is pretty sure a dozen wolves have followed him down the corridor.

He switches on the light, which leads to another shriek.

Xander and Renee do not know where to look. Andrew just says hi to Buffy and hi to the naked Asian girl too. Then he looks confused and asks Xander and Renee how many tranquilisers he took again.

From the floor beside the bed Buffy grabs her things and screams at everyone to get out of her room!

Dawn looks through the window and complains that her whole barn is full of bees and… then she spots Buffy and asks, aghast, what she is doing.

This is not what it looks like, Buffy makes clear. That reassures Xander, because then it is only a dream. Renee does not believe that. Oh yes, he has had it before: Renee is there, they are there, and he will just sit in the corner and wait for Willow…

The next moment something crashes through the ceiling, and everyone jumps. Then Willow lies in the middle of the rubble on the floor and just says “Ow.”

Buffy has crawled back under the sheet and looks down at Willow from the foot of the bed, asking what happened.

Willow thinks they are under attack – and why is Buffy naked in bed with Satsu?

Buffy now asks angrily where exactly these wolves are.

One of the wolves has discovered the armoury. It stands outside, then turns into mist and gets in under the door. Inside, the wisp of mist turns into an Asian man. He goes to the wall and takes the Scythe. More mist seeps in under the door and takes the form of another man. He explains that Kumiko has dealt with the witch and that they are keeping the Slayers busy. And have they killed any yet? Not so far – they are stronger than expected. Raidon (the second man) should not be so grumpy; the future looks bright for them – and he makes the Scythe flash in his hands.

The door opens.

Buffy says she really tries to share, but she cannot stand it when someone touches her things!

Behind her in the corridor the Slayers are fighting the wolves.

The man points questioningly at the Scythe and then shrugs regretfully. Buffy knocks him down. The man turns into his vampire self, while the other one, Raidon, turns back into the wolf/panther, which completely throws Buffy.

The vampire pushes Buffy aside and passes the Scythe to his now demonic, animal companion, who flees with it. Buffy stares after him. The vampire says “bye” and turns into mist. That is new, Buffy notes.

Raidon flees with the Scythe through the chaotic corridors, jumps out of a window and “meets” Kumiko there – the woman who attacked Willow earlier. She takes the Scythe and flies away with it.

Everyone has gathered in the castle. Buffy has told them what happened and admits that it makes no sense. But that is how it is: the vampire first attacked her and then turned into mist. Xander has heard similar things from the other Slayers. Some confirm the strange events and describe how these vampires transformed into wolves, panthers and even bees.

Buffy asks whether that is allowed. They are vampires! Or did she miss some meeting?

Willow, pressing a cloth to her head, says that nothing makes sense tonight.

Buffy says that they have the Scythe… the Scythe… her Scythe. That cannot be a coincidence; they must know about the spell. Definitely, Xander confirms. And that clearly belongs in the very-bad category.

He looks at the picture of the vampire on a large screen and says they will get them. How many Japanese vampire gangs with a thing for goth can there be?

Willow asks whether they can be sure they really are vampires. When could vampires last turn into a swarm of bees? That is exactly what Buffy said, she reminds her: since when can they do that?!

Everyone looks at Xander – which he does not like at all. He seems to understand and just says: “Oh, crap.”

Xander and Renee sit in a helicopter that Xander is flying.

This is not exactly what Renee had in mind for a date. Xander promises to make it up to her.

They fly towards a castle and land.

Renee does not even know what she is supposed to do here. Simple: she is to keep an eye on him and make sure he does nothing strange, Xander explains. And what does he mean by “strange”, Renee asks. Nothing to worry about; it is just that sometimes, when he gets near this guy, he starts behaving… oddly, Xander explains as they walk to the door.

Oddly how? When Xander does not answer, Renee repeats the question. At that moment the door opens.

Dracula looks at Xander and greets him – his servant.

Xander looks at him uncertainly, says hey, asks how it is going… and then adds “Master”.

To be continued…