Time Of Your Life, Part III

Plot

New York / future:

Buffy is still in the “library” Fray calls home, looking out of the window. She has searched the books but found absolutely nothing. A few abstract descriptions that might refer to her and her friends – some quite encouraging, others simply hideous and one incomprehensibly ridiculous. But the rest… She awakened all those Slayers to tip the balance in the fight against evil, to push back the darkness and make the world a better place. But there is nothing about it in the books. No mention. Nothing at all. And as for the better world… this is what it looks like. She looks at the chaotic Manhattan of the future with tears in her eyes – she really would rather not have known.

Fray drops to the floor beside her, with Gates in tow. They have a hit. Gunther said there is a buzz coming from the uppers; and lurks do not usually hang around that high up.

Huh?

Fray suggests they stir up a few of the lush haunts, flush out the lurks and squeeze stories out of them.

Buffy looks at her and asks whether any part of that sentence involves her getting to hit someone. Fray supposes so. Then she is in, Buffy declares.

The two set off. Fray asks whether the books were good. Buffy does not know; she did not read the ending.

New York / present:

Willow is sitting on her bed with Kennedy. She has books spread around her and leafs through one in frustration before cursing in her own way (“frak”). No reason to curse like a freak, Kennedy tells her, hugging Willow from behind. She will figure something out.

But she cannot leave Buffy alone in a terrible, unknown future…

And she will not, Kennedy assures her. But she has to relax. Someone sent her the vision (Kennedy calls Willow “Mickey” here), so can she not simply contact him – or her? Or it?

Willow looks up with a smile. Maybe she can… Then she looks at Kennedy. She asks whether she trusts her and knows that she loves her and that she is not crazy and that what they do serves a higher good – honestly, hand on heart, no fingers crossed behind her back?

Sure. What do they have to do?

Willow lowers her eyes and uses her “curse” again (put in family-friendly terms, they have to have sex so that Willow can make contact).

Scotland / present:

Dawn and Xander are still charging through the woods until Xander suddenly falls off. Dawn stops and looks at him in alarm. He reassures her that everything is all right – nothing broken that was not already broken. And how does she feel, he asks the sweat-soaked Dawn.

Like she has been ridden hard and put away wet.

Argh! That is gr… oh, no, wait, that is just the truth. Well, thanks anyway for the rescue, Black Beauty, Xander tells her.

If anything it has to be “Chestnutty Beauty”, Dawn corrects him, offended. And what the hell are they supposed to do now?

Yeah, well, Xander is pretty sure these flame-snake-whatever monsters are still after them. And the escape tunnels lead in exactly the opposite direction, so he has little hope of getting to the Slayers any time soon. He stares behind him into the woods, in the direction they came from.

Could he maybe enlighten her about what actually happened – where did these guys come from? She only heard a bang.

Oh, quite simple: bomb plus magic equals…

Warren and Amy, Dawn completes it. Oh, would she like to get them under her hooves.

Amen, Xander replies. But first they have to get out of these woods before more…

Intruders must die, a voice rings out – and Xander wonders why he had to open his mouth.

In front of the two of them, a few trees turn into creatures with flaming swords.

This place is forbidden to humans, and the penalty is inescapably death – this Lorelahn swears, one of the creatures calls to them.

Dawn just folds her arms and asks the “tree boys” in a bored voice whether she looks human.

Yes, and more importantly: did he just say “this swears”, Xander asks incredulously.

And what is with him anyway, Dawn asks – what is with the fire and the branches and the sword? Did he maybe mix up some legends?

Xander finds that funny and laughs; and anyway: Lorelei…

Lorelahn, with an “ah” at the end, the creature corrects, staring at the two of them baffled and rather unsure.

Xander says that there are things after them that are much scarier, so how about he just shows them the way out of the forbidden undergrowth and they call it a night?

Uh… death is the… what was scarier than them again?

New York / future:

Under water, Gunther hears knocking. Through the blood-smeared glass he sees Harth and a few of his people above.

Harth is beginning to feel that the two of them have a problem. He knows Gunther passes information to his sister, and he cannot use that right now. So what would Gunther suggest he do about it?

That Harth and his people disappear before he kills them all, Gunther answers.

Harth is not particularly impressed by the threats. Gunther knows who he…

Of course he knows, Gunther interrupts him. If his people keep knocking on the glass and break it, the generators will kick in and flood the room with enough sunlight to roast a pig, Gunther threatens the vampire. He is trying to frighten him or kill him, but none of it will work.

Oh, maybe not now…

The boy should listen to him carefully, Gunther demands. He was born in the gutter – literally. He worked and killed and cheated or bought the “laws” until he finally controlled half of Haddyn. And all that without ever breathing air once, so Harth had better not go too far.

Harth and his people turn and seem about to leave. Harth remarks casually that in the end they are not so different. Because after all…

A few vampires appear in the water tank behind Gunther.

…lurks do not have to breathe either, Harth finishes the sentence.

Fray and Buffy are travelling in one of the flying cars – and Fray lets Buffy drive! Accordingly, they shoot around rather out of control. While Fray’s only comment is “Jesu!”, Buffy just says “Oh God” and asks desperately where the brake is. What is a brake, Fray asks. The vehicle starts to climb.

Up, Buffy comments in surprise – up is good, she thinks.

Well, Fray did say she would manage it (and she wishes she had not).

Hey, this is her first time doing Grand Theft Flying Auto – Buffy thinks she is doing great.

Fray’s only comment is that Buffy “drives like a hangman”.

Great – that saying had to survive, didn’t it?

Buffy should go down – they need clearance up here and they do not have it.

So the upper half of Manhattan is a kind of elite society? Not really surprising. What are they actually looking for?

That, Fray replies, as she spots a medical organ transport at one of the buildings. There is no medical facility in that “plex”.

Masked vampires jump out of the transporter and attack the people in the building, who scream for help. Fray wants to help them. Buffy says no; Gunther told them they send out hunting parties.

Yes, and they have to stop them, Fray thinks.

No, they have to find out where they come from. If Fray really wants to stop this and stop her brother, she has to concentrate on the bigger picture, Buffy explains, as they fly right past the landing zone where the vampires are rampaging.

Fray grabs her scythe and jumps over to the building. Buffy should search while she does their job! Fray throws herself at the vampires and stakes the first one mid-leap. One of the bloodsuckers recognises her and calls to the others that they have to get out of here.

Buffy watches the scene and curses. She is going to crash this thing; she knew it.

Meanwhile Fray tends to a boy who has been bitten. He is afraid he might turn. That is not how it works, Fray explains, wiping off the blood. At the same time she thinks angrily that “bigger pictures” are for govvers, not for Slayers. Something is crooked with this girl (Buffy).

Anger will not help her; she has to understand Buffy, Fray hears a voice say. Dark Willow stands behind her. If Fray hates Buffy, she will only be harder to kill.

New York / present:

Willow is close to orgasm – and then finds herself naked in the dimension of the snake demoness (Saga Vasuki) and starts as the demoness appears right in front of her.

She had been wondering when Willow would come back.

She knows Willow cannot stay long, says Willow. It is a bit complicated to come here.

But it is fun, isn’t it?

She lied to her, Willow states, ignoring the question.

How simple she makes that sound, the demon lady says, bored.

She should just tell her how they can bring Buffy back.

She cannot do it alone, the snake demoness wonders.

She does not have that kind of power, Willow makes clear.

Oh, really; is that so?

Time warps are not like quick jaunts into another dimension, and besides, it is dangerous. Only someone with very dark power would play with that. So who told her…

Someone she trusted, the snake demoness interrupts Willow.

Willow apologises. She is really grateful for what they both… for what she taught her. But this is about Buffy, and Willow has to get her back – they all do.

The rift will open again tonight, the demoness explains, without looking at Willow.

Really? How can she…

She will figure it out. Or maybe not. But she demands a promise from Willow. When the rift opens, she is to reach across and bring her back – but she must not look.

Why should she not…

Because she is asking her to.

Of course. Willow thanks the demon lady. Then she realises she has to go back. But they will see each other soon.

Only so short, the snake demoness regrets. But yes, they will see each other. Willow just has to come again (a pun, okay?).

Willow, looking almost ashamed, gets dressed again, while Kennedy lies relaxed and grinning on the bed watching her.

New York / future:

It is her, isn’t it – the mad woman? Dark Willow at least thinks it is. But Fray should not hold it against her; she has earned it, she is pretty sure of that.

Fray thinks Dark Willow must be a lurk. But she knows better, Dark Willow corrects her. But she is not human either, Fray states as a fact, looking at her.

Not for a while now, answers Dark Willow, who has turned her back on Fray.

Fray explains that she will not kill a Slayer, to which Dark Willow only replies that Buffy would not show the same mercy.

Why should they turn against each other, Fray wants to know.

Because they have different goals.

They both want to be free of the lurks, says Fray. Dark Willow looks at Fray. The most important men in both their lives are “lurks” – so does Fray really think it is that simple?

Fray, still holding her scythe firmly, knows that Dark Willow has been with Harth for a while. Rumour has it they have some big plan. And part of it is surely to take Fray out.

Her brother is interesting, Dark Willow thinks – ambitious. But her concerns are of a more personal nature. As she says this, Dark Willow conjures a small green ball of energy above her left hand, which takes on a vaguely human shape. Alarmed, Fray raises her scythe and asks whether she plans to keep that hand. Dark Willow calms her: that is all the magic she can muster, so she should relax – she only wants to show her something.

Meanwhile Buffy has “parked” the flying vehicle – more precisely, she has flown it into a wall, where it is stuck. That went better than she expected, she thinks. She jumps down a few ledges to climb down the building. At least she parked nearby… Buffy looks towards the building where the vampires have their headquarters and is genuinely impressed.

Buffy enters “Fray’s” library and is immediately threatened by Erin with a weapon; she barks at her to stop and show submission.

Whoa, hey! She is submitting; totally submissive, Buffy explains with her hands raised. She thought this was Melaka Fray’s apartment. And could she please not “ray-gun” her?

Erin lowers the weapon and apologises. She was only expecting to hear from Melaka and…

She is her sister, right – the cop?

She is a “law”, says Erin.

Yes, right. She is a Slayer from a long-gone time, says Buffy, and introduces herself. Maybe she has heard of her.

Erin does not answer and only asks where Mel is.

They split up. Buffy says she found the vampire headquarters. But it is huge. No chance of storming in without a good plan. But if they want to take out her brother… who, as Buffy just realises, is also Erin’s brother…

“And Melaka?” Erin wants to know, as Buffy sits down.

She dealt with some vampires, although Buffy told her to stay calm and look for the source instead of rushing off like a lunatic. Erin guesses her little sister did not listen. Do they ever, Buffy asks back.

She has a sister?

Five years younger and a total pain, and huge too – or most recently a centaur. Whenever she tells her something, she does the exact opposite, Buffy says. That sounds very familiar to Erin.

Buffy tells Erin that she once considered becoming a cop – a law. In high school she took a test and fitted the profile. And if they had had these outfits in her time, she would not have thought twice – is that leather, by the way?

Puffy…, Erin begins, but is interrupted at once as Buffy makes clear that the name starts with a “B”. She really does not want to be called Puffy in future history… but she had a question?

She is a Slayer? Erin picks up the thread. When Buffy says yes, she asks “why”. Why – well, why is Erin a law, Buffy asks back.

The next moment she is hit by an electric discharge and falls to the floor unconscious. Erin crouches beside her and checks on Buffy. She asks Mel whether she is sure about this. She is, Fray answers. She just seemed… what are they actually doing here, Erin wants to know from her sister.

Saving the world, Fray replies.