Blue Moon

Teaser

Story by Zahir al Daoud Written by Zahir al Daoud Directed by Zahir al Daoud, CN Winters and Susan Carr Produced by CN Winters and Susan Carr Edited by Dragonwriter17 Sound by CSR Art Direction by Zahir al Daoud Artist: Zahir al Daoud

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Fade In: Int. Herbalist Shop – Afternoon

The old woman looked out the window of her shop at the street. Rain poured down, and the few people braving the deluge walked huddled in their trench coats below well-beaten umbrellas. The old woman shuddered a little bit. She walked over to the thermostat controls.

"Oh!" she cried out in alarm as she turned.

Behind her stood a single man of maybe thirty-five or forty. He was tall and slender, but powerfully built. He wore a long black coat beaded with water. His beard and collar- length hair were wet also, but his eyes – they seemed intense enough to almost burn.

"Oh, you startled me," the old woman said. "You hardly made any noise coming in," she finished with a laugh.

"We do move pretty quiet, don’t we?" said a voice coming from behind the dark young man. A woman’s voice. She stepped out as she spoke, and the old woman did a take. The newcomer had short, blonde hair and a ring piercing her lip. Her clothes – what clothes she wore – were leather. "Or maybe you just can’t hear too good?" the blonde added snidely. "I…I am getting up there in years," the old woman admitted.

The young woman didn’t say anything, but sneered instead. The man didn’t even do that much; he merely continued the same burning stare.

"And what can I do for you?" continued the old woman, stepping away from the pair and towards the counter. "We’ve a wide variety, as you can see," she gestured to the bottles and small bags that dotted the room. "There’s a greenhouse upstairs where I grow the more exotic herbs," she went on. By now she was at the counter, beside the cash register. Her hand appeared casually positioned. "Was there something specific you wanted?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, there is," said the sneering young woman.

"Name it."

The blonde approached the counter now, her body language halfway between a strut and a stalk, or some combination of the two. Quietly, the dark young man followed. The old woman reached under the cash register as quietly as she could.

"There’s a flower we’re looking for. Diana’s Favor," the young woman said.

The old woman blinked. "Oh, that is very rare. Very rare indeed."

"We know."

"It’s a hybrid, very difficult to create, and even then, most of the seeds fail before they finish sprouting. The requirements are extremely precise."

"And even when you succeed," finished the leather-clad blonde, "it blooms only once every few years, right?" For the first time, she looked back at her bearded companion. "Right?"

He nodded, still saying nothing.

"Very true," said the old woman, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "I might undertake a commission to breed such a bloom – it would be quite a challenge, actually. One I’d enjoy." She tried to smile.

Now the young woman turned back to her, smiling exactly the way a spider might at a moth landing on her web. It was a cruel smile and a confident one. The old woman grabbed something under the register.

"You oughta know," said the blonde, "since there’s one upstairs right now. I think we’ll just take that one." The blonde’s face shifted. Her brow furrowed, eyes flashed gold, and her teeth extended into fangs. She headed directly for the old woman, but then stopped suddenly.

A cross. The old woman held aloft a cross in trembling hands. "Begone," she said. "The both of you!"

The vampire hissed.

But the dark young man simply moved forward with all the grace and strength of a wild animal. He didn’t even slow down, but just grabbed the cross from the old woman’s fingers, looked at it for a moment, then crushed it in his grip. The old woman gasped.

And the vampire laughed.

Cut to: Int. Car – Afternoon

The windshield wipers beat a rhythm in the downpour.

"So," asked Mia while driving, "what is a Diana’s Favor anyway? Something to do with magic?"

Willow, sitting in the passenger seat, nodded. "That’s right. I found an herbalist willing to try and crossbreed one over a year ago. Got a call yesterday that it had bloomed. Which, when you think about it, is just too lucky for words."

"Yeah, but what does it do?"

"Do you know what a blue moon is?"

"Nope."

"It’s the second full moon in a calendar month. They only happen like once every three years."

"Hence the ‘Once in a blue moon’ thing?" Mia said.

"Right!"

"And that has something to do with this flower?"

Willow nodded. "On the night of a blue moon, you can use Diana’s Favor to cure lycanthropy." Mia raised a confused eyebrow. "Werewolf," Willow explained. "You can cure a werewolf." "Oh, so it won’t be a werewolf anymore?"

"Exactly."

"I take it you know a werewolf then?"

"A friend," said Willow, softly. "A very old, very good friend. Well, not literally old. He’s actually only a year older than me, and I’m certainly not old. On the other hand, he has always seemed to be pretty old, like an old soul maybe? Does that make any sense?"

"Kinda," said Mia with a laugh. "So you’re going to cure him?"

"I hope so," Willow replied in a less than confident tone.

"What? You think you can’t do it anymore? But you’ve got Andrew and Jeff and Dawn and Skye to help, right? Or do you think you’ll need some more people to do the spell or whatever?"

"No, we should be enough," was Willow’s answer. "I think." Her voice was low against the steady drumming of rain against the car roof.

Cut to: Int. Herbalist Shop – Later

Willow entered the shop, followed by Mia. They held their heads down against the downpour, so they didn’t look up and see the shop’s interior until the door behind them had actually closed.

Both women took off their coats, shaking them out as they scanned around the store. They found several items, glass bottles mostly, lying smashed on the floor. The old woman who ran the shop was also on the floor, and she wasn’t moving.

"Mrs. Corman!" Willow cried out as she ran to her. Mia followed, and they both knelt beside the old woman.

The shopkeeper was as white as a sheet. Dead eyes stared up, and upon her throat were the telltale bite marks of a vampire. Mia checked her pulse.

"Dead," the Slayer said. Willow stared at the body, looking as if she might cry. Then her eyes narrowed in a mixture of anger and suspicion. "This is a mighty big coincidence," she said in a quiet and dangerous voice. "The Diana’s Favor!" she exclaimed as she stood up and headed for the spiral staircase in the corner.

"You know where to find it?"

"She has a greenhouse upstairs," Willow said as she rushed up the stairs. "I’ve been here before and she showed me where she was growing it."

"Probably just a coincidence," Mia stated. "Hopefully," she muttered in a knock-on-wood tone of voice.

Then Mia’s eye caught something on the floor next to Mrs. Corman. She reached over and picked it up. It was a cross – or rather, the remains of one. It was broken, as if someone with very powerful fingers had simply crushed it in his or her fingers.

"No vampire did that," said Mia to herself. Then, she considered the body before her, and the way she had obviously died. "Can’t take chances," she said. She reached into the inside pocket of her coat and brought out a wooden stake. She braced herself and lifted the stake.

"Oh no!" Willow’s voice echoed from above, making Mia freeze mid-strike.

Willow emerged from the upstairs greenhouse and called down the staircase. "It’s gone!" she cried out. "Somebody stole the Diana’s Favor!"

Fade out.

End of Teaser

Act One

With Felicia Day as Vi, Norika Fujiwara as Mia, Lindsay Felton as Skye.

Guest Starring Christian Bale as Troy, Mia Kirshner as Cassandra, Jaime Pressley as Romana, Katherine Isabel as Teela, Neve Campbell as Camille and Seth Green as Oz.

Fade In: Int. Video Hut – Day

The rain outside made the store look like nighttime. Apart from the tentacled clerk behind the cash register, the only patron was Andrew. With wet hair, he scanned the "New Releases" wall, picking up various titles, glancing at them, putting them back. He was making his third pass when a female voice startled him out of his reverie. "Ginger Snaps Back."

Andrew turned around and smiled. The speaker was a very pretty brunette in a purple slicker and hood. She grinned at him and continued, "I really think it’s a good movie."

"What?" Andrew asked, confused.

She pointed to the DVD. On the cover were two young women, one with red hair and the other with black. "It’s the third in a trilogy of movies about werewolves," she explained. "Are you familiar with werewolves?"

"I…I’ve heard of them," Andrew answered. He couldn’t quite take his eyes off the young woman’s smile, which seemed somehow both friendly and wicked – but in a potentially very good way. He took a breath and said, "Maybe that’s what I should rent. I couldn’t quite make my mind before." He attempted what he hoped was a dashing smile.

Seemingly encouraged, the young woman took a step closer. "I…um…it’s nice to see another human here." She lowered her voice. "Not that I mind the…the demons, you know? Because most of them seem really nice. But still…" She gave a coquettish shrug.

"Oh, I know what you mean! About the demons around here, anyway." He smiled back, this time genuinely.

After a pause, during which the young woman kept her eyes on Andrew, she finally said, "Would you like to get some coffee? The fact is, I’m chilled to the bone."

"Oh…um…sure! There’s a coffee place just a block or two away!" He gestured for her to follow, and she did. "I’m Andrew."

"Cassandra."

As the two of them left, the Vl’hurg demon behind the cash register watched them go. He shook his head.

"Vampires…" he muttered. "Shameless things."

Cut to: Ext. Watchers HQ – Day As the rain poured down, the taxi drove as close to the front door as it could get. Once stopped, the taxi’s door opened. Two figures emerged, a man and woman. They moved to gather a couple of pieces of luggage, then from under a common umbrella headed for the front door.

The taxi drove off. Lightning flashed, and thunder echoed across the sky.

Cut to: Int. Watchers Lobby – Same time

Xander and Rowena descended the stairs together, with Xander clearly bending Rowena’s ear. "So, let’s say, for example," he began, "that girls – well, not all girls, but girls in general – that they ignored me for years and years – which they did."

"Uh-huh," was Rowena’s answer.

"The way karma works, might that be the reason that more than one girl is now…well…kinda interested in me at the same time?"

"Honestly? Seems more likely that it’s karma for cheating on Cordelia and then leaving Anya at the altar."

Xander actually seemed to take this with some grace. He did however look askance at Rowena and mumbled something about privacy. Then he stopped as his eyes wandered in the direction of the entrance where two people came indoors from the soggy streets. They each carried a single piece of luggage. Xander smiled when he recognized the male of the pair.

"Oz!" Xander shouted as he and Rowena made their way to the foyer.

Still ginger-haired, but now older, Oz looked up to see Xander with a big grin on his face. The faintest shadow of a smile flickered across Oz’s face as well.

"Man, I had no idea you were coming!" Xander went on, clapping Oz on the shoulder.

"It was a last minute kinda thing," Oz murmured, barely nodding. He looked to Xander’s right.

"Hi," said Rowena, reaching out her hand. "My name is Rowena Allister. I’m…" She hesitated. "You’re Willow’s lady," Oz finished for her, taking her hand for a shake. "Pleased to meet you."

"And I am Camille," said the young woman at Oz’s side. She took Rowena’s hand for a shake as well. Both Xander and Rowena gave her a good stare. She was taller than Oz himself, with dark hair that reached her collar. There seemed something haunted about her pretty features, something dark about her eyes, but she smiled in a friendly way, a shy way. "Camille…Osbourne," she finished, as if a little unsure as to the reaction.

Xander blinked. Rowena blinked. They looked at each other and blinked again.

"Oh," they said, in unison.

The silence that followed was not as long as it seemed. It was, however, just a little uncomfortable. And then it was suddenly broken as the front door swung open again – this time with Willow and Mia running inside out of the rain.

"Trouble!" Willow said, complaining to Mia. "A whole lot of trouble! Vampires, or at least one vampire, stealing the one thing we—" Then she stopped dead and stared at Oz. "Oh…hi, Oz."

"Hey, Willow."

"H-How’re things?"

"Okay," Oz replied. "Not so good for you, though, huh?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The whole ‘trouble with the vampire’ thing?"

"Oh. Oh! Right! I…actually, that’s about you," Willow admitted. "The whole reason I asked you to come. I’m…the Diana’s Favor bloomed. On the blue moon, even! That’s why I sent you that telegram! But then somebody stole it!"

"Uh…stole what, Will?" Xander asked. "The telegram?"

"No! The Diana’s Favor!"

"And that’s bad?"

"Yes," was Rowena’s answer, her voice very serious. "Very bad." The one who seemed most upset about this news, however, was Camille. She looked as if she might cry. She took a long, shuddering breath and turned her face away from everyone else. Oz instantly turned around and stepped in front of her, taking her face in his hands.

"Shhhh," Oz whispered to her. "It’ll be all right. Really."

"But…"

"Hey," he said soothingly, "but me no buts. It will. No matter what."

"You said she had a cure," Camille whispered in a choked voice.

"It’ll be all right," he repeated.

"Well, I do," said Willow. "Have a cure, I mean. But we need the Diana’s Favor to make it work, and that’s been stolen."

"So, we get it back!" said Xander. "Right?"

"Right," agreed Mia, who up until now had simply stood slightly behind Willow. "I’m going to go brief Faith, see what we can do about tracking down the vampires who did this."

"Good idea," said Rowena as Mia headed out of the lobby.

Oz cradled Camille in his arms, rocking her gently. "It’ll be okay," he assured her. "I promise. One way or another."

As Willow watched the tender moment between Oz and Camille, a puzzled look came on her face.

Xander noticed and said, "Will, this is Camille. Ha, I rhymed!" At Willow’s rolled eyes, he cleared his throat and continued, "Unless I misread some signs – which is totally within the realm of possibility – Camille is Oz’s wife."

Willow glanced at the couple once again. "I’m happy for you," she said at last.

"And…" said Xander, "just so I’m somewhere in the vicinity of up to speed, what’s a ‘Diana’s Flavor’ and what does it do? Is it a cure for…" He hesitated, then made a growl face and pantomimed his hands as claws.

"Diana’s Favor," Willow corrected. "And yes, it cures lycanthropy. But only under very specific conditions. Which is why we need to get it back. As soon as possible!"

"Why would a vampire want Diana’s Favor?" wondered Rowena.

Willow shrugged. "Maybe it has some other uses we don’t know about?" "I think Mia has the right idea," Xander said. "We need to just get ourselves organized and go get this Diana’s Flavor…Favor…thing back. Then Willow can make with the mojo…uh, you still can, right?"

"The coven will have to help, but yeah."

"Okay then! In that case," he said, turning in Camille’s direction, "we’ll do what needs to be done. Trust us, we’re good at this. We used to save the world before going off on summer vacation every year. And that was before we got upgraded!"

"Tonight is a full moon," said Oz quietly. "We’re going to need someplace."

Xander nodded. "Okay. I’ll get your things here," he moved to pick up the luggage. "We’ve got plenty of guest rooms. And after we get Camille all set up, we can get a cell ready for you, Oz. No need for both you to be behind bars," he said with a laugh. Then he stopped at the look that both Oz and Camille gave him. Xander sighed. "I just put my foot in my mouth again, didn’t I?"

"It’s a talent," noted Oz.

"You married a werewolf?" Willow blurted. Now everyone’s eyes turned to her. "Is she like Veruca?" Then she winced. "I shouldn’t have said that."

"I know about Veruca," Camille said. "And no, I’m not like her. At least, not in the way I believe you mean. Oz has taught me his meditations and how to use his herbs. But still…it’s hard. It would be better for all if we were both under lock and key." Her voice was strong, with just a slight timbre of upset.

"Well, have no fear, the Watchers Council can accommodate all," Xander said in a light tone. "If you’ll follow me, it’s the guest room first." As Xander headed for the stairs, he muttered to Rowena in passing, "You were right about the karma."

Oz and Camille followed.

Cut to: Int. Library – Evening

Giles finished cleaning his glasses as Rowena, Dawn, Skye, Jeff, and Willow poured over several books. "What I don’t quite understand," he said to Willow, "is why you didn’t mention this spell before." There was just a touch of ice in his voice.

"She did," Dawn answered. Giles looked at her.

"Just in passing," Skye went on. "She said that she thought maybe there was a way to cure werewolves." "There’s a reference in the Opus Obscurum to a Slayer who was bitten," Willow explained, "and how a coven cured her. But it was all academic because the most vital thing needed for the ritual to work was a fresh bloom of Diana’s Favor. It was only yesterday that I got news that one was available!"

"I still don’t see anything anywhere about what use a vampire would have for the bloom, though," Rowena noted.

"Maybe the vampire has a friend who’s a werewolf?" offered Jeff.

"Seems unlikely," said Giles. "Not impossible, though. But that would presume that this unknown vampire also knows about the spell you’ve mentioned. Is it listed anywhere else?"

Willow shook her head. "No. And believe me, I’ve looked."

"The Opus Obscurum was missing for almost five hundred years," said Rowena. "It’s possible that a vampire might have had access to it in that time."

"And remembered such an obscure spell? For what reason?" Giles asked.

Cut to: Int. Kitchen – Same time

Xander was pouring several mugs of coffee as Andrew rushed into the room.

"Hey, we were just looking for you—" Xander started to say.

"No time, Xander," said the breathless Andrew as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bowl. Xander did a take.

"You’re wearing new clothes," he observed. "And those are the hors d'oeuvres you’ve been boasting about. What’s up?"

Andrew grinned. "I’ve got a date."

"You?" was out of Xander’s mouth before he could stop himself.

"Yes, me!" Andrew replied, a little annoyed till a smile came over his face. "Her name’s Cassandra, and we met at the video store. Would you believe it, she’s seen every single episode of every single Star Trek ever!"

"She sounds…lovely." "That’s the amazing thing – she is! She’s really very very pretty! Anyway, she invited me over to her place, and I’m bringing…" He held up the bowl. "…pineapple-bacon skewers! Think she’ll like ’em?"

"Why not?"

Xander grinned at Andrew, who grinned back. After a moment, the latter headed for the back door. "See you later! Wish me luck!"

"Luck!"

Once Andrew was gone, Xander winced and snapped his fingers as if he’d forgotten something. "Oh, by the way," he said to the absent Andrew, "we’ve got a pair of guests staying with us… and they’re both werewolves." He sighed and waved his hand at the closed door. "Ehh, I’ll tell him tomorrow."

He picked up the tray of coffee mugs and headed out of the kitchen.

Cut to: Int. Watcher Cells – Same time

Seated in lotus positions, Camille and Oz faced each other. Camille’s breath was ragged, her head bowed.

"Just think about your breathing," Oz said calmly. "Just think about it, but don’t do anything. Concentrate on that."

"I…I’m losing control…"

"You haven’t, though. Just think about that. Watch yourself breathe."

Camille lifted her head. She looked different. The most vivid difference was her eyes, now nearly a solid black in color.

"Oz…!" Her voice was halfway to a growl. She grimaced in pain.

"Listen…listen. Follow my voice. Hold on to my voice. And breathe. Breathe."

She shakily nodded. Her breathing grew deeper, but not calmer. With a long shuddering gasp, Camille trembled. Her teeth began to lengthen. "Oz…" she whimpered. "I’m sorry…" Tears formed in her eyes as he leaned over to her.

"Not alone," he whispered. "You’re not alone." As he said these words, he shut his eyes in concentration. Soon a quick shudder flowed through his body. "Never alone."

"I’m so sorry," was all Camille managed to say as her face altered shape. Holding her in his arms, Oz changed as well. Fur emerged from their skins as they grunted with the re-shaping of their bones. Their teeth became fangs. Their hands, claws. Clothes ripped as their bodies swelled with rippling muscles. Lupine snouts inhaled gulps of air.

In seconds, instead of a man and woman, the cell contained two beasts, one male, one female. They came together in ferocious contact – not in combat, but in another, just- as-furious need. They cleaved to each, roaring their joy. Mate with mate.

Soon, the cell echoed with their howls.

Cut to: Int. Apartment – Later

Cassandra opened her front door. Standing there with a very pleased smile on his face was Andrew. He carried a bowl in his hands.

"Right on time!" Cassandra said with a grin.

"Well, I didn’t want to be late. And I brought something to eat!" Andrew held up the bowl. Cassandra laughed lightly. "What’s so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "Just pleasantly surprised. Come on in."

Andrew entered the apartment, glancing around him. There wasn’t much by way of furniture. The only light came from a handful of lamps scattered in the front room. "You just move in?"

"That’s right."

"So, are you new to Cleveland?"

"Nope. These have been my hunting grounds for a couple of years now. Not that I’ve done much to call attention to myself." "Yeah, this can be a rough town." When Cassandra took the bowl out of his hands, Andrew said, "I call these pineapple-bacon skewers. Well, not so much skewers as toothpicks, but you get the idea." He gave a nervous laugh.

"It was a kind thought."

Andrew followed Cassandra deeper inside the apartment. He took in the decor, a simple mix. Heavy curtains on the windows. An empty frame above a sideboard. "What was that?"

"Hmm?"

Andrew pointed to the frame. "That? What used to be there? Looks like it should be a mirror."

Rather than answering, Cassandra put the bowl down and turned. She looked at him with a disconcerting stare – not threatening, not much of anything. The silence went on so long that Andrew gave a nervous laugh.

"What?"

"I’d like you to meet someone," Cassandra replied.

"Oh. Okay. Uh…who?"

Cassandra snapped her fingers. A quite extraordinary blonde entered from another room. Her revealing clothes were entirely of leather. What wasn’t leather seemed to be metal, which matched the piercings in her lip and eyebrow. The dark red lipstick and teased hair went along with the elaborate tattoos the woman revealed across her pale, but very muscular form.

"This is Cynthia," Cassandra introduced.

"Hi, Cynthia," said Andrew, looking back and forth between the two. Cynthia herself said nothing. Instead, she slinked across the room to Andrew’s side, standing a little behind him. Between him and the door, actually. Andrew licked his lips before continuing. "Uh…girlfriend?"

"No," Cassandra replied.

"I didn’t mean to offend," Andrew said. "It’s just that…well, I live with a bunch of other folks, and a lot of them are lesbians, so you can see why…never mind."

The brunette stepped forward, ignoring the fact Andrew had spoken at all. "Cynthia has some girlfriends. I, however, am not one of them. She – and her girlfriends – are my minions." Andrew made a sound halfway between a laugh and a cry. "Minions?" he squeaked. Then he looked at Cynthia, recognizing the all-too-familiar furrowed brow, golden eyes, and fangs of a vampire. When he looked back at Cassandra, he caught the end of her own transformation.

Another vampire.

"Oh," he muttered nervously. "You weren’t kidding when you said ‘hunting grounds,’ were you?"

He managed not to squeal too loudly when Cassandra leapt forward and drove her fangs into his throat.

Fade out.

End of Act One

Act Two

Fade In: Int. Old Foundry – Near dawn

Andrew opened his eyes. There was a bandage on his neck, and he was tied to a chair. "Déjà vu," he mumbled. Nervously, he tested his teeth with his tongue. He relaxed slightly as they seemed of normal length. Then he looked around.

The room was dark, with bare light bulbs offering illumination here and there amid widely-spaced columns. Still, the large metal cage was easily seen. It stood less than twenty feet away. Cassandra stood beside it, gazing inside. Inside, paced and growled a figure out of nightmare – a werewolf nearly seven feet tall and covered in dark fur. Its long head, topped with pointed ears, suddenly turned in Andrew’s direction and sniffed. A low-pitched sound, half-way between a growl and a hiss, came from its fanged mouth.

Cassandra glanced behind her at Andrew. She had a curious lack of expression. Her reaction to Andrew was little more than what it might have been for a clock while she checked the time. Cassandra looked back at the werewolf. The creature crouched and met her gaze.

"Beautiful, isn’t he?" she said, with quiet passion. "So pure. Almost perfect. Think of all the useless garbage that simply isn’t part of his life. No lies. No conscience. No burden of memory or worries about the future. No politics. No money. No clothes. None of it. Just life – pure, unobstructed, unsullied."

"Is he your pet?" Andrew asked, in what was probably at attempt at bravura. The squeak in his voice ruined the effect.

She looked back at him with disdain. Andrew opened his mouth to say something further, but didn’t.

From further away in the large room came footsteps. Cynthia walked into view, and with her was another young woman, presumably also a vampire. She was not nearly so gothed-out as Cynthia, but had long red hair and an attitude the match of Cynthia’s, at least from the look on her face.

"Almost dawn," said Cynthia as she approached.

"I know," said Cassandra, her eyes still on the beast in the cage.

"Should we have brought something for Troy?" asked the redhead. "He might be hungry."

"Who’s Troy?" asked Andrew. Cynthia and her friend looked at him, then at the cage. The answer appeared obvious. "Oh."

The redhead smiled. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. "Well, it’s not like we haven’t got a snack for him here already."

Cynthia laughed.

"Shut up," was all Cassandra said. "It’s nearly time." The two other vampires fell silent. Inside the cage, the werewolf began to pace more furiously, swaying from side to side. He snarled and then yelped in pain. Then, he stood up to his full height and howled. As the howl echoed away, the fur withdrew into his flesh. His head and face changed shape, as did his hands and legs. Shuddering, his whole body altered. At last, a muscular man with a beard stood naked in the cage. He still retained the air of a wild animal, and in fact his stance remained that of the creature he had been but moments before.

Cassandra unlocked the cage, and he strode out. Both Cynthia and the redhead openly gave him admiring, even lustful looks. He ignored them. He had eyes only for Cassandra, who gazed as deeply into his.

Without looking at her minions, Cassandra gave orders. "Get the digital camera and the bloom." Neither Cynthia nor the redhead even hesitated. As the echoes of their footsteps faded, Cassandra and Troy went into a passionate embrace.

"Uh…guys? I’m still here," said Andrew, obviously uncomfortable.

They ignored him.

Cut to: Int. Watchers Hallway – Morning

Kennedy stopped en route to the dining room. There, next to the door, stood Jeff with Dawn and Skye. All three were clearly eavesdropping on something, their ears poised quietly over the crack of the open door.

"Ahem." The three looked around to see Kennedy with her arms folded and eyebrows raised. She tapped her foot then tilted her head, as if to ask what they were doing.

Dawn put a finger to her lips and pointed to the door.

Skye mouthed the words "Oz and his wife. And Willow."

After a second, Kennedy took a step forward. She stood next to them and listened.

Cut to: Int. Dining Room – Same Time Seated at the dining room table were Oz and Camille, along with Willow and Rowena. All were eating bowls of oatmeal and drinking coffee.

"I don’t know much of anything about magic," Camille was saying. "Honestly, half the time, I can’t even make the meditations and things Oz uses work."

"Maybe you’re something like me," offered Rowena. "I have the magical equivalent of being tone deaf or color blind."

Camille shrugged. She looked at Willow. "But what you found – it’s really a cure? A for-real and forever cure?"

"According to the Opus Obscurum, yes. This ritual worked before and should work again. Some of the details are a little vague," Willow said, "because most of the passages were written in code. A lot of the book is like that – ciphers really, based on relationships between human and demon languages. There’s one part about the ritual I haven’t been able to crack yet, but it doesn’t seem that important. We know the essentials. A blue moon – that’s tonight and tomorrow night. Raw magical power – our coven should have enough for that. And the bloom of Diana’s Favor. That was the tricky one."

"What if you can’t retrieve the bloom?" Camille asked, both her eyes and her voice showing fear.

Willow hesitated. "I’d have to find another one. And the next blue moon is in two and a half years."

Oz reached over and took Camille’s hand. Camille herself stared at Willow with a haunted look on her face.

"How did you two meet?" Rowena asked, changing the subject to what she hoped was a lighter one.

Camille cleared her throat. "He came looking for me," she said with something like a smile.

"There were these stories about a wolf-girl running around the Florida Everglades," Oz explained. "Enough that I got interested."

"I was trying to stay away from people during the…when I wasn’t me. When I realized someone was following me, I panicked. He didn’t. Fortunately."

"There are werewolf hunters, I know," said Rowena. "Did you think he was one of those?"

Camille hesitated. "No," she said finally, in a low voice. "I thought he was one of my pack."

Willow and Rowena exchanged a look, then gazed inquiringly at Oz. "Some werewolves," he said, "start hanging out. They gather during the full moon and run as a pack. Together."

Willow’s eyes went huge. "Isn’t that much more dangerous?"

"Not so much for us," Camille said, looking in her bowl.

"That would tend to discourage hunters," said Rowena.

Camille shook her head.

"Just the opposite," Oz replied.

"Think about how much damage one of us can do," said Camille. "Now imagine how much more nine or ten could accomplish. Think of the Manson family, but without any restraints. We…my pack…we stopped thinking of ourselves as human anymore. But then, the hunters got together too, and they were more organized." She fell silent.

"What happened?" asked Willow, whose tone indicated she wasn’t entirely certain she wanted to know.

"Some of us got away," answered Camille. She said nothing more.

"And eventually, I found her," Oz said, finishing the tale.

"Life is good that way sometimes," Rowena said. She glanced at Willow, who looked a little choked up.

Cut to: Int. Watchers Hallway – Same time

Jeff and Skye, Kennedy and Dawn were all listening intensely. Maybe because of this, they all turned at the same time. Behind them, wearing much the same expression Kennedy had worn earlier, was Giles.

He looked at them. He said not a word. He didn’t need to.

Slowly, all four eavesdroppers walked away from the door, down the hallway, and out of sight. They even managed to look embarrassed while doing so. Giles stared at them until they were gone.

When he got to the doorway, he hesitated. He started to listen, as the others had done, then shook his head and pushed the door open. Cut to: Int. Dining Room – Same time

"Good morning, all," Giles said as he swept into the room. "I trust everyone slept well?" He looked at the table and at the breakfast they were eating. "Andrew usually makes a more sumptuous fare than oatmeal."

"He wasn’t up yet," explained Rowena, "so we just scrounged."

"Oh," Giles said.

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Later that day

In a darkened room, Cassandra worked at her laptop. Behind her, now fully clothed, Troy paced. His body language remained pretty much the same as when he was a beast.

"Ready," Cassandra said.

Troy stepped up behind her. She pressed ENTER, then leaned against him, her head against his torso. Both his hands came to her shoulders, one then stroking her throat and the other tracing his fingers against her face.

"Soon," he said, voice deep and low.

She closed her eyes, purring at his touch. "Soon," she agreed.

Cut to: Int. Andrew’s Quarters – Late morning

There was no one in the room. Hence no one responded to the knocking. After a time, some voices became audible through the door.

"I don’t think he’s there," Vi said.

"Maybe he really did have a hot date," Xander replied. "Andrew?" Vi asked incredulously.

"Stranger things have happened."

"Like what? No – don’t answer that."

After a moment, the door creaked open. Xander and Vi stepped inside, on tiptoe.

"Andrew?" called out Xander. "You here, buddy?"

Vi eased past Xander and said in a hopeful voice, "I taped the new teaser for Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith! Wanna watch?" Only silence answered her. "He's definitely not here."

Xander shrugged. "Maybe he got lucky."

She looked at him. "Oh? You think maybe it’s catching?"

"I…what? What do you mean?"

"I went looking for you last night."

"Oh. I was…out."

"Alone?" Vi asked.

"Not technically, no."

Vi headed out the door. Xander followed. "There’s this new Italian place Brell mentioned, and Alex said she loved a good veal parmesan. It was in the way of a public service…" Xander said defensively.

"Yeah, right." Vi didn’t stop.

Cut to: Int. Library – A little later

Willow was staring at the screen of her laptop, face pale. Beside her, Oz and Camille held hands. Behind them stood Giles.

Vi and Xander entered the room with Vi chiding her companion. "If Brell knew enough to recommend the place, what did you expect?"

"You’re right," Xander said. "And the clientele we could handle. We even met this one nice guy – sounded more British than Giles even, but with tentacles and stuff. Real nice. But some of the food was…well, I don’t even wanna say…" He and Vi both stopped short at seeing the expression on everyone else’s face. "What happened?" asked Xander.

"We’ve learned what’s become of Andrew," said Giles, his voice grim. "Show him," he said to Willow, who nodded and clicked on her screen.

A video file opened on Willow’s laptop. In a darkened room, Andrew sat tied up with a bandage on his neck. He looked frightened – and with good reason, as a dark-haired vampire woman stepped into view. In her hand was a potted plant, an odd-looking flower of some kind.

"You know what I am," she said. "And what I’ve done to your friend. You also know that I haven’t done what I could have done. I’m also certain at least one of you knows what this is." She held up the flower. "Diana’s Favor. Almost certainly the only one in existence at the moment." She paused and then stared directly into the camera. "Here is what I want. The witch named Willow Rosenberg will perform a ritual for me tonight. She should know the one I mean. It is described on page thirty-three of the Opus Obscurum, which I know she has in her possession. At precisely three o’clock today I will call you with instructions. Be prepared to follow them. If not, I will destroy this flower. More, I will turn your friend Andrew into something you’ll feel honor-bound to destroy. And after that, I’ll see just how much trouble his inside knowledge of the Watchers Council can cause."

She stepped forward, her face filling the frame as it shifted back to human form, her furrowed brow smoothing and her eyes going from gold to brown.

"There will be no negotiation. No second chances. Do what I demand or suffer the consequences."

The image froze as the media file finished playing. No one said anything at first.

"Now we know what happened to Andrew," said Xander. "Least it wasn’t me this time who had a date with a demon."

"That’s a matter of opinion," Vi said under her breath.

"Giles," Willow said worriedly, "whatever it is she wants, I can’t do it. Not a ritual of that magnitude. Not by myself. Not anymore." "And she said no negotiations, I know." Giles looked grim.

Rowena returned from farther inside the library. She had a large book in hand. "I thought I recognized that face."

Everyone looked at her. "Recognized her?" asked Giles.

Rowena nodded. "Part of my research when looking for the Opus Obscurum. Here is the last known picture of her." She put down the book and pointed to a daguerreotype from the 19th century. The portrait was clearly of the same female vampire as in the media file. Underneath was a name: Cassandra of Bruges.

"Oh dear Lord," breathed Giles.

"Why do I get the feeling this is worse news than I already think?" wondered Xander aloud.

"Because it is," answered Rowena.

"Only too true, I’m afraid," said Giles.

"Who is she?" asked Willow.

"Cassandra of Bruges was the daughter of two Watchers born five hundred years ago," Rowena explained. "She was the last known person to have the Opus Obscurum in her possession, at least the last person associated with the Council."

"So," suggested Oz, "she was turned and she stole it?"

"Exactly," said Giles.

"That’s how she knew what the book contained – even the page number!" noted Willow.

"We’re up against a five-hundred-year-old ex-Watcher vampire?" asked Vi.

"Unfortunately, no," said Giles.

"But you just said…" began Xander.

"Cassandra’s parents were Watchers," interrupted Rowena. "She was not. She had been given all the training to become a Watcher, but that turned out not to be her destiny." She took a deep breath. "Before she was turned, Cassandra of Bruges was called as the Slayer." Fade out.

End of Act Two

Act Three

Fade In: Int. Old Foundry – Later

Andrew, tied to the chair, fidgeted. He twitched when he heard two sets of footsteps in the dark, turning to try and see who was in the room with him.

Cassandra and Troy approached the little island of light where Andrew sat, bound.

Andrew tried to smile at the pair when he saw them. "Listen, I just wanted to thank you two – for, you know, not eating me."

Neither the vampire nor the werewolf seemed to react.

"I’m working on a theory, actually," Andrew continued, nervous but still undeterred. "Because – when you think about it – yours is probably a really extraordinary love story. Like Arwen and Strider, Princess Leia and Han Solo, Romeo and Juliet even! A cross-species romance set in the shadowy parts of the modern world where ancient feuds still inspire battle between immortal creatures of darkness."

They looked at him intently. "We saw that movie," Troy said at last.

"Really? Lord of the Rings?" Andrew asked, pleased. "What’d you think?"

"It was…useful," Cassandra replied.

Andrew blinked. Of all the possible replies, this was one he clearly hadn’t expected.

"Useful?" he asked.

"Gave us an idea."

"Oh." Again, Andrew didn’t know how to take this. "Well, that’s good. Isn’t it? Or – not. ’Cause you two aren’t good, right? You’re still evil? Or are you?" This last question had a hopeful note. Troy snorted. He went to another chair and sat down.

"I doubt you can imagine how bored I am with good and evil," murmured Cassandra.

"Probably not," Andrew agreed hastily. "But then, if you’re bored with evil and all, why not let me go?" Andrew smiled.

"Not yet." Cassandra pulled a cell phone from her pocket, then checked her watch. "I want you to answer a few questions first."

"What if I don’t?"

"Then I’ll invite Cynthia and Teela back in here to play with you. We only need you alive, not unharmed."

"But…but you said you were bored with evil…"

"I am. They’re not." She let that sink in for a moment. "Willow Rosenberg wanted a flower, the Diana’s Favor. It is very rare, very difficult to breed. And it has only one use, described in only one book – a book I know she possesses. First question – why is Willow Rosenberg so interested in werewolves?"

"Uh…" Andrew hesitated, but he looked between the two and saw neither one of them blinking. "I’m not sure…but…but I think her ex-boyfriend is a werewolf. Or that’s the rumor, anyway. Guess you and she have some stuff in common, huh? You know what? Maybe that’s something you can build on – think about it! You try and force her to do things for you, then she’s always looking for a way out. But – bonds of friendship, of mutual trust, of common…" he glanced at Troy, who glowered at him, "…life experiences – that can lead to real cooperation! And…stuff."

Eventually, after an eternal several seconds, Cassandra spoke again. "Are you through?"

"I guess."

"Next question."

"Uh…what?"

"What is Willow Rosenberg’s private number?" She held up the cell phone.

Cut to: Int. Watchers Library – Day Faith and Kennedy came into the library together, finding Robin along with Willow and Giles and Rowena pouring over some books.

"Well, we got news," proclaimed Faith. "Not a lot, but some."

"Turns out there’s some really powerful vampire in town," continued Kennedy, "and she’s been investigating herbalists and greenhouses and magical suppliers for months. More, she’s been looking into the Council. Only one person heard her name, though."

"Cassandra," Robin finished for her.

Both Faith and Kennedy did a take. Faith looked at her fellow Slayer. "Told you he was good," she said proudly.

"We’ve heard from her," Giles explained, barely looking up from the tome before him. "She’s five hundred years old, very cunning, admits she stole the Diana’s Favor, and now has kidnapped Andrew. She’ll be calling in about ten minutes."

"She doesn’t waste time," muttered Kennedy.

"It’s worse than that," Rowena added.

"Why worse?"

Robin answered. "Turns out Cassandra, before she was a vampire, was a Slayer."

"Oh…" said Faith.

"..hell," finished Kennedy. Then she asked, "So, why didn’t the Council send someone after her?"

"They did," Giles replied. "It was the very first thing her successor tried to do."

"And?" asked Faith.

"Cassandra killed her. Sent her head to the Council in a box," Giles answered glibly.

Again, Faith and Kennedy looked at each other. "He’s so cheerful," Kennedy said. "Oz and Camille are upstairs, trying to get some rest. I think maybe when Cassandra calls we should see if we can get her to let us cure them as well. I mean, she evidently wants me to cure someone of werewolfism."

"Really?" Faith was startled. "Why?"

"No idea," Rowena said.

"Can you still do that? By yourself, I mean?" Kennedy asked Willow.

"Probably not," said Willow. "Actually – no. I can’t. We’ll need the entire coven. Sans Andrew of course. I’ve got Dawn, Skye, and Jeff rounding up the regular supplies we’ll need."

"What worries me," Giles said, taking off his glasses, "is that un-deciphered passage about the ritual. Cassandra has had access to the Opus Obscurum far longer than we have, and it’s likely she knows what that passage says. I cannot help but believe that it is the key to what she really desires."

"I have to agree," said Rowena.

"Makes sense," noted Faith. "Why else would she want to cure somebody of being a werewolf?"

Cut to: Int. Guest Room – Same

Camille paced, and Oz watched. She kept glancing at the window.

"Just a couple more hours," she said as if proclaiming the time of her execution.

"Yeah." Oz managed to put a surprising amount of sympathy, companionship, fear, faith and personal strength into that one word.

She stopped pacing. "I’m so sorry."

"It’s okay."

"No," she shook her head. "It’s not. I lost control."

"Everyone does."

"We’re not everyone." Her eyes had begun to tear. "True."

"Sometimes…sometimes I think hope is the cruelest thing in the world. You know? The cruelest thing in the whole world."

Oz waited a few moments, his eyes holding hers. "I know," he said.

And they said nothing else.

Cut to: Int. Watchers Library- Later

As Willow’s cell phone rang, everyone glanced at the clock. The hour hand was on the three. She answered.

"Hello?"

"Miss Rosenberg," said a cold female voice over the line, "I presume by now you know who this is."

"Yeah. Can you hold on a moment? I want to put you on the speaker phone."

"Go ahead."

Hands shaking slightly, Willow connected her cell phone to the device on the table. "Can you hear me?" she asked.

From the speaker, the woman’s voice replied. "Yes, I can."

Giles cleared his throat. "Am I to assume that the person speaking is indeed Cassandra of Bruges?"

An un-amused laugh was the first reply. "You can call me that. Although I haven’t been back to Belgium in over a century. You must be Rupert Giles?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations on your de facto promotion. Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow looked up from the laptop also attached to the cell-phone. "Yes?"

"I’m re-routing this call through several different substations. Don’t even try to trace my location. The purpose of this call is to give instructions. Are you ready?"

"There’s something you need to know," Robin interjected. "Mr. Wood, I presume?"

"Yes."

"Go ahead."

"Willow endured something recently, a trauma that has cost her some measure of her magical powers. She still hasn’t recovered."

The silence that followed seemed longer than it was. "I’m listening," she said, an edge of danger now in her voice.

"I can’t perform the ritual by myself," said Willow. "I need my coven members. Otherwise, it just won’t work."

Again, silence. "Well," said the former Slayer voice at last, "I can’t say I’m surprised by this tactic…"

"No! I’m telling the truth! Honest!"

"She is," said Giles. "I give you my word."

"And your word is your bond?"

"Yes, yes it is."

"Even with innocent lives at stake? I don’t think so."

"It doesn’t really matter, does it?" Rowena said suddenly. "No matter whether Willow shows up alone or with the coven, you’re not going to let them out of your sight, correct? And you won’t let us have Andrew back until after the ritual is done?" She paused. "Well, am I right?"

For a few moments, no sound came from the speaker. Then, "You’re a clever girl, Miss Allister. Very well, you may bring three members of your coven. That should be enough. Mr. Osbourne as well."

Everyone gave each other a look. The voice continued, amused. "Oh, yes, I now know why you were seeking the Diana’s Favor, Miss Rosenberg. Daniel Osbourne may come along, but he’ll need to be shackled. Hands and legs, is that clear?"

"Yes," Willow said. "Oz…Mr. Osbourne…he has a wife. She’s a werewolf, too."

The voice didn’t quite chuckle. "Birds – or wolves – of a feather? Very well, I’m willing to be generous. The same rules apply, however."

"We understand," said Giles. "Mr. and Mrs. Osbourne, Miss Rosenberg, and the three coven members need to be in a car at the corner of George and Martin at precisely five thirty tonight. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," said Willow.

"That will give you fifteen minutes before sunset, or should I say moonrise. I will call you at that time to give directions. It might interest you to know I am already familiar with the members of your coven, so I will be able to recognize them on sight. Any deception, any trickery at all, and your friend Andrew will lose his eyes. Get it?"

"Got it," said Robin.

"Good. And just so you’ll know that I’m upholding my end of the bargain…" There was a pause. When a voice came again from the speaker, it was no longer a woman’s.

"Uh…guys?" Andrew said.

"Andrew," Giles said immediately, "what’s my favorite brand of instant coffee?"

"What? Giles!" Andrew’s voice sounded equal parts terrified and indignant. "I’ve got other things on my mind than grocery shopping right now, thank you very much! Besides which – you don’t even like instant coffee! Okay? Now can we talk about something a little more in tune with…well…ME?" This last sentence was nearly but not quite a shriek.

"It’s okay, Andrew," said Robin soothingly. "We just had to be sure that you were really you and that this wasn’t a recording."

"Oh yeah?" A pause. "Oh. Yeah. That makes sense."

Suddenly his voice was replaced by that of Cassandra. "A wise test, Mr. Giles. But that is all we have to say to one another for now. Miss Rosenberg, I’ll be speaking with you again at precisely five thirty." There was a click and then a dial tone.

Willow reached over to disconnect the cell-phone from the speaker.

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Same

Still tied to his chair, Andrew watched Cassandra put her cell phone away. From behind, he heard another set of footsteps. Within moments, Cynthia and Teela emerged from the shadows.

"How’d it go?" Cynthia asked. "On target," was Cassandra’s answer. "The ritual takes place tonight. As it happens there’ll be three werewolves instead of two, but that shouldn’t make any difference." Her look to Cynthia was clearly an order. "You’ll need to finish your task as quickly as possible if you expect to take part."

"Don’t worry. We know the plan."

"Good."

"Uh…" Andrew spoke up. "Plan?"

Cynthia and Teela looked at him and chuckled. "Oh yeah. It’s a great plan. Just great! Who knows, maybe if we’re in the mood you’ll even have a bigger part in it than you think!" Something about Cynthia’s grin was cruel.

Teela walked over and stroked one finger through Andrew’s hair. "I dunno. I mean, he hardly qualifies as a snack. You think we should make him one of us?"

"You…" Andrew gulped, "…you’re thinking of making me a vampire?"

Now Cynthia and Teela smiled at each other, exactly the way children do when they share a naughty secret.

"A vampire?" laughed Teela. "No. We’re not considering making you a vampire. But then, after tonight, we won’t be just vampires!"

Andrew gaped, while Cynthia and Teela cackled. A bit further away, Troy and Cassandra ignored them, gazing at each other with a fierce intensity.

Fade out.

End of Act Three

Act Four

Fade in: Int. Guest Bedroom – Late Afternoon

Oz and Camille stared out of the window, at the fading sunlight.

"What if it doesn’t work?" Camille asked. "The backup team is going to bring tranq guns. Just in case."

Camille shook her head. "That isn’t what I meant."

He squeezed her hand. That, apparently, was enough. She relaxed a little.

For a full minute they waited, not saying anything, nor needing to.

"Here’s something weird," Camille said finally.

"What?"

"Okay, maybe not weird, but ironic. I think." She paused. "Maybe tonight, I think I’ll be able to control it." Camille smiled.

He grinned back. "You have before."

With a deep breath, she said, "Time to go."

And with a nod, he followed her out of the room.

Cut to: Int. Meeting Room – Same Time

Giles was speaking to an assembled group. "Per Cassandra’s instructions, Willow will be in the van with Jeff, Dawn, and Skye as well as of course Oz and Camille."

Dawn looked around. "Where is our canine couple, anyway?"

"They’ll be here," Willow replied.

"No doubt Cassandra expects us to have a backup team in place. And we shall. Xander, you will be driving. Faith – you, Kennedy and Vi will be armed as usual, but also will carry tranquilizer guns. Keep in mind, although we don’t know all the details, at least one other werewolf must be involved in all this. We still don’t know why Cassandra wants this ritual performed, but its very nature presumes the presence of such."

"I still don’t get that," muttered Jeff. "Unless – maybe she owes somebody a favor?"

"That’s certainly a possibility," agreed Giles. "But it’s essential that we remember how much of this situation remains unknown—" "I.E. dangerous," Xander interjected.

"Yes, dangerous," Giles agreed, taking back the floor. "Naturally, she’s not giving us enough time to find out more. She is formidably intelligent as well as extremely experienced. That’s why we’re sending in the Black Ops team as well." He gestured to Mia and Robin. "Robin will drive. Willow is carrying a transmitter. You’ll be well out of sight, so Cassandra should have no reason to suspect your presence."

Mia nodded then turned to Willow. "The transmitter is very low power, but we can track you from as much as five miles away. We’ll be circling until we see you stop, then begin to move forward."

"Which means," Robin noted, "when we do move, we can’t be there at once. Something for everyone to consider."

"Don’t worry," Faith said, "we can take care of ourselves."

"Yes," agreed Giles. "Not only are they our three most experienced Slayers, Xander and his eye should provide an advantage as well." He took a deep breath. "All three cars have full first aid kits, not only for yourselves, but for Andrew. If we’re lucky, he’ll simply be weak from loss of blood. We can hope they’ve done little more damage than that, but we must be prepared."

Then Jeff asked, "What if they’ve…that is…" He stumbled.

"That is something else we might have to face," Giles said ominously. "It’s possible that Andrew may well be dead. Or worse. Be prepared for that."

Silence followed. After a few moments, the door opened, and Oz and Camille entered. The latter seemed calm, but clearly had to force herself to make eye contact with Giles. "We’re ready," she said bravely.

"Well done," he murmured. He gestured to Willow, who took shackles off the table and approached the two werewolves. Oz immediately took them from her.

"I’ll take care of it," he said simply.

"You don’t have to do that now," said Giles.

Oz nodded.

Rowena entered the room. Giles immediately turned to her. "Anything?"

"No," she shook her head. "She hides her tracks very well, so there isn’t a lot to go on. The good news is that she’s seems to have grown less violent for the last hundred years or so. But the bad news is that she’s also been more erratic, less predictable." "Maybe she gained a soul?" Dawn suggested.

"I said less violent, not non-violent. She still kills people, and it doesn’t seem to bother her at all," Rowena replied.

"Besides," said Skye, "how often can a vampire get a soul?"

Dawn thought about it. "Twice."

"I rather doubt we can count on that happening a third time," said Giles. He glanced at his watch. "Willow, it’s time."

She nodded. On the way to the door, she and Rowena hugged. "Come back to me," Rowena whispered in her ear.

"You know it," Willow answered.

Faith and Robin hugged, as did Kennedy and Mia. Xander and Vi exchanged a look and a smile.

Cut to: Int. Bedroom – Same Time

Cassandra lay curled up, naked under sheets, but fully awake. The bed, such as it was, looked more like a half dozen or so mattresses piled on top and beside each other. Clearly, the room was not originally designed to be a bedroom. It looked more like an abandoned storage area, but there were no windows and only one door. There was a knocking at that door now.

She did not answer, but she did rise and approach Troy, who stood a few feet away, also naked. As she did, he turned and put his arms around her. She, likewise, embraced him, running her hands along his flesh.

The knocking persisted.

Looking towards the door, Cassandra raised her voice. "I know what time it is!"

Cut to: Int. Hallway – Same Time Cynthia and Teela stopped knocking immediately. Nervously, they waited. When enough time had passed that they knew no further instructions were coming, they walked away. They were careful to make as little noise as possible.

Cut to: Ext. Cleveland Intersection – Later

The van came to a stop at the corner of George Street and Martin Avenue. Luckily, there was hardly any traffic, so when the van remained stopped, they didn’t have to deal with any honking cars or irate motorists. Already, the sunlight was fading. The nearby bank’s digital clock displayed 5:29.

Cut to: Int. Van – Same Time

Skye was driving, with Willow riding shotgun. In the back seat, Jeff was helping Oz into his wrist and ankle shackles. Dawn was doing the same for Camille.

"Sorry," Dawn whispered to the woman.

"It’s okay," Camille assured her. She looked out the van windows at the fading sunlight, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Her hand reached out to Oz, who took it into his own.

"Well," said Skye, nodding at the digital clock outside the bank. "Any bets on whether that is a coincidence?"

"Nope," sighed Willow, who took out her cell phone.

Cut to: Ext. Cleveland Street – Same Time

Two blocks away, a car double parked in near-perfect timing with the van.

Cut to: Int. Car – Same Time

Xander, in the driver’s seat, sighed. He looked at Vi, seated to his right.

"And now we wait," muttered Kennedy, seated with Faith in the back.

"Yup," agreed Faith. Cut to: Int. Van – Same

Willow’s cell phone rang exactly as the digital clock turned to 5:30.

"Hello?" Willow answered immediately. "We’re here!"

"Listen carefully," said the familiar female voice. "Drive forward five blocks to Kolchak Street. Then take a left."

Cut to: Int. Black Ops Van – Same Time

Mia sat beside Robin, gazing at a digital display. "Willow’s van is moving," she noted.

"She must have gotten instructions," agreed Robin.

"We should wait until she gets a lot further away…"

"Or stops altogether."

"Right," she agreed.

In the back, four other Black Ops slayers quietly checked their equipment.

Cut to: Ext. Old Foundry – Later

By now, the horizon showed only the barest hint of red. Willow’s van pulled into the parking lot of what looked like some kind of old factory. On closer examination, it proved to be an abandoned foundry. The van parked and stopped its engines.

A block away, Xander’s car didn’t quite turn the corner, but it was still visible from the foundry parking lot.

Cut to: Int. Car – Same Time

"I guess this is the place," Vi said.

"Guess so," agreed Xander, watching the van. "Look – they’re getting out." From the back seat, Faith held up her own cell phone and spoke into it. "Yep. Willow’s van has stopped, and they’re getting out to go inside that old foundry. Guess that’s this Cassandra chick’s lair."

Cut to: Int. Black Ops Van – Same Time

Robin, cell-phone in hand, nodded. "Gotcha." He hung up, slipping the device into his pocket. Then he turned to Mia and the others.

"Ladies, let’s go." He said as he started the engine.

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Main Floor – Dusk

Jeff hovered while Dawn and Skye helped Oz and Camille walk. The shackles on their ankles made the going slow. Ahead, Willow held the Opus Obscurum.

"Hello?" she called out. "Anybody here?"

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Blast Room – Same Time

Troy and Cassandra each drank a vial of violet liquid. They looked at each other, then kissed. Cassandra, eyes bright, turned and walked away.

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Main Floor – Same Time

"We’re here," Willow continued. "Just like you told us!" Her voice echoed in the darkness and the shadows of huge machines. Her voice was the only sound. Willow looked back at her companions.

Camille’s eyes were unfocussed, her breathing deliberate and even. Oz watched her carefully. Dawn, Skye, and Jeff all stayed close, but not too close to the werewolves as the light from the sun faded.

"Hello?" Willow cried out again.

"Good evening," said a voice.

They all turned around. Cassandra of Bruges, child of Watchers, chosen as a Slayer, now a vampire of great age and power, stood perhaps six yards away. She wore white and was easily spotted in the gloom. "This way," she said, gesturing.

"Where’s Andrew?" demanded Skye.

"Safe," was Cassandra’s answer. "As long as you do what you’re told. Do that, and we all get what we want." She waited one full second. Then, an edge crept into her voice. "Now."

The six of them moved to obey. Cassandra walked further into the foundry, and they followed. Above them, unseen, moved two other figures. They began to descend from the catwalk via a long built-in ladder.

"I’ve already set things up – the circle, the brazier, and of course the Diana’s Favor. I see you’ve brought the Opus Obscurum." Cassandra’s voice was fading as she moved. "Haven’t seen that in ages."

Once the two figures reached the foot of the ladder, they emerged into the light. One was Cynthia, the other Teela. Both grinned as they moved quietly across the floor towards the entrance where Willow and her group had just entered. Both vampires carried a machine gun fixed with a silencer.

Once near the entrance, they looked out. Four figures were making their way towards the foundry. One was a tall man with short dark hair. The other three were women, young women. A redhead and two brunettes. In addition, all three young women carried what looked like wooden stakes.

Cynthia looked at Teela and mouthed the word ‘Slayers.’ Teela grinned.

Together, they cocked the firing mechanisms of their machine guns. And slipped back into the shadows.

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Blast Room – Same Time

"Here we go," said Cassandra. Sure enough, an elaborate circle with arcane symbols had been painted on a large section of the floor. A brazier burned in the very center, giving off the scent of various herbs.

Standing at a particular point on the edge of the circle – beside the sigil of Sagittarius – was a man. Tall, with longish hair and a full beard.

"This isn’t Andrew," Skye said.

"Yeah," agreed Jeff. He approached. "Who the hell are you?" The man literally growled. His eyes were fierce enough that Jeff backed up immediately. As he did so, the man’s eyes changed color, and he opened his mouth to reveal wolf-like fangs. He was changing in front of their eyes.

"Sunset," breathed Cassandra. "Time to begin. You and you," she pointed to Oz and Camille, "go stand there," indicating the points of the circle where the Sagittarius sigil was painted. "Now!" They moved to obey, as the man howled and shook, revealing the fact he was chained by the wrists to the floor.

"Everyone – take positions," said Willow. As Skye and Dawn and Jeff did so, Willow opened the book. All stood now at the edge of the circle. Willow found the place she wanted and then looked up.

By now Cassandra had reached behind an old box and taken out the Diana’s Favor. She stepped forward, into the last remaining spot where a Sagittarius sigil was painted. This fact got a small take from Willow, but she had little time to react. With a gesture, Cassandra intoned the words "Sanctum Invicto."

From behind, there was a great sound. Huge blast doors lowered, sealing off the entire room. Willow looked again at Cassandra.

"You – you can do magic! But why…?"

Cassandra didn’t let her finish. She tossed the flower into the brazier, where it ignited in a brilliant violet flash. "Begin the ritual," she ordered. When Willow hesitated, Cassandra looked at her. "Begin – or I’ll turn every one of you and bury you at the bottom of the ocean." She let the threat sink in. "Begin!"

Willow turned to the book. "Hecate and Artemis, we invoke thee."

At Willow’s nod, Jeff and Dawn and Skye repeated her words. "Hecate and Artemis, we invoke thee."

By now, Troy had nearly finished transforming into a huge werewolf – easily the fiercest Willow had ever seen. He stood over seven feet tall, and his howl seemed to shake the walls.

"We supplicate ourselves to Pan and to Proteus…"

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Main Floor – Same Time

Xander and the others heard the howl.

"Was that…?" asked Vi. "A werewolf," answered Faith. "Yep."

They were at the actual entrance where Willow and the others had entered. Now they fanned out, trying to stay as aware as possible of any movements amidst the shadows. Of course, this place was filled with shadows, so their movements were slow. It took a surprisingly long time even to get very far from the entrance.

"X-man?" Kennedy asked.

"I wish you wouldn’t call me that, Kennedy."

"Whatever. Your spider sense going off?"

He sighed. "No."

"Let us know if it does," said Faith.

"What a great idea!" Xander said sarcastically. "And here I was planning to keep it all to myself."

The three slayers groaned.

For another full minute they inched forward, and in the process they heard a werewolf howl at least twice more. It was muffled, as if in another building or room, but distinctive.

"Surprise!" they heard behind them.

When they turned, they found two vampires – one blonde, one redhead, the former wearing more tattoos than clothes – both holding machine guns in their hands. Machine guns pointed directly at Xander and the three Slayers.

"Time to say bye-bye," giggled the tattooed blonde.

"So...bye-bye!" gloated the redhead.

Xander stepped in front of Vi as the vampires opened fire. Flames shot from the barrels of their weapons. Both shook with the power of the guns, and each sprayed the area in front of them several times. In effect, they emptied their weapons’ magazines, creating a kill zone in which nothing human could survive.

Which no doubt explained the shocked look on everyone’s faces when Xander and the three Slayers were still standing afterwards.

Xander even looked down, as if expecting to see wounds that simply were not there. His fingers touched himself, confirming the total absence of holes. Vi looked, too, then at her fellow Slayers. Faith was blinking and breathing hard. Kennedy’s eyes were simply huge. Her head whipped back and forth, confirming that not only was she unharmed, but so were her companions.

"What the hell…?" Xander said.

"Guess that’s why your spider sense didn’t go off," offered Vi.

"Don’t call it that," he said faintly.

The vampires looked, if anything, even more stunned. The blonde looked at her companion.

"How could you miss?"

"I didn’t miss! Anyway, if I did, then you did too!"

"That’s stupid!" She waved the weapon in her hand. "These are machine guns! At point-blank range! All we have to do is point them in the right direction!"

"So what happened?"

"I don’t know!"

Before the redhead could say anything more, she dissolved into dust as Vi walked up to her and jammed a stake into her heart.

The blonde’s expression grew even more upset when Kennedy and Faith grabbed her on either side and held up their wooden stakes.

"Okay – talk!" ordered Faith.

"What do you want to know?" she whimpered, visibly cringing.

"How about," Xander said as he walked up, "explaining why you were shooting at us with blanks? ’Cause that’s gotta be it, right? I mean, it’s just gotta be."

They all looked at the blonde. She looked terribly distressed. "I dunno," she whispered. "Troy gave us the guns, told us what to do."

"Who’s Troy?" demanded Kennedy.

"Cassandra’s boyfriend. He’s a werewolf."

All three Slayers and Xander took this in for a moment. Vi’s face quirked into an expression of uncomfortable acceptance. "That’s kinda…" Vi didn’t finish. "Yeah, yeah, very nice, an interracial couple, woo hoo," was Faith’s deadpan reaction. "I still wanna know what the hell is going on."

Before the blonde vampire could say anything more, running footsteps echoed from the parking lot. Five figures in high-tech stealth gear were running towards them, led by Mia. Bringing up the rear was Robin. As they reached the first group, they looked around in all directions, clearly alert and ready to fight.

Mia was the first to realize that there was nothing to fight. "What happened?" she asked.

"The two mighty minions opened up on us with machine guns," Xander replied. "Machine guns filled with blanks."

Robin’s eyes went big. He looked at the cringing blonde held at bay by Faith and Kennedy’s stakes. "Ohh…kaay," he said, nodding. "Any idea why?"

"Goldilocks was about to tell us," Faith assured him. Then she looked at the vampire.

"Cassandra had a plan," the blonde stated.

"Well, duh," muttered Vi.

The vampire flinched. "She said there was a magic ritual we could use, but that the Watchers were the ones with the book she needed. Plus we had to wait for some kind of special full moon and get this really rare flower. That’s why we kidnapped your friend."

"Guess what?" said Robin. "We already knew all that."

"Yeah," said Kennedy. "What was the point? What’s she trying to do?"

"She said – she said it would combine all the powers of a vampire and a werewolf together, turning her – and us – into something brand new and super-powerful. We’d be more powerful than either one, you see?"

For a moment, no one said anything.

"That so sounds like something out of a movie," said Xander.

"Your friend, Andrew? He’s downstairs in the sub-basement. He’s fine, really. Just tied up. Cassandra said not to hurt him because he was more valuable as a hostage. The stairs are just over there," she gestured with her head, "next to the vending machines. Just go down, take a right, fifty or sixty feet and he’s there." She was saying all this very fast and with a huge fake smile on her face. "See? I’m helpful! You’ll let me live now, okay? Please?"

Vi stepped up to her. "No," she answered flatly as she plunged her stake into the heart of the vampire, who had just enough time to look equal parts disappointed, surprised, and afraid. Then Vi pointed. "We heard wolf howls from that direction."

Xander nodded. "I’ll go get Andrew." He headed off to the basement, and everyone else followed Vi.

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Blast Room – A little later

By now the violet glow from the brazier had become intense and had spread to everyone in the room.

"Let the bonds of Sutekh be broken!" Willow intoned over the howls of the strange werewolf. By now, both Camille and Oz were trembling. Each had begun to change, their eyes growing dark and their teeth growing longer. The features of each were altering with every passing moment.

"Let the bonds be broken!" chanted the other three coven members.

"And the flesh be reborn!" Willow called.

"And the flesh be reborn!" came the response.

From her place, Cassandra was also shaking. The violet glow had begun to emit from her eyes. She seemed to be nearly in convulsions.

Willow continued reading from the book, as the violet glow grew even stronger.

"Unleash what has been chained!" she cried.

"Unleash what has been chained!" the three answered.

"Remake the bone and skin and blood!" Willow intoned.

"Remake the bone and skin and blood!" they echoed.

"So mote it be!" Willow commanded.

"So mote it be!" came the reply.

At the last word, the violet glow erupted, like a cross between an aurora borealis and a fireworks display. Something like a whirlwind began to fill the chamber, forcing Willow and others to the ground. Through slitted eyes, she could see both Camille and Oz assume their lupine forms, howling against the wind. Near them, the huge werewolf was already fully transformed, yet it still writhed in change. Strangely, Cassandra appeared to be undergoing some kind of change. She dropped to all fours, her hairline extending while her face reshaped itself.

A great roar rose as the violet light and whirlwind reached its peak. Willow was thrown several feet across the room, as was Jeff. Dawn and Skye clutched at each other, but were thrown apart. Debris began to swirl in the air. The growling of feral beasts filled the air.

Then, the sound spiraled down along with the violet glow.

Cut to: Int. Watchers Library – Same Time

Giles followed Rowena into the room as she headed towards the laptop on a desk.

"You need to see this," Rowena said. She sat before the laptop and clicked something. "It arrived less than three minutes ago."

Another media file opened, revealing yet again the face of Cassandra. Looking directly at the camera, she spoke.

"By now," she said, "my plan will have worked. The ritual is done, or is so close to being done that no one can stop it. I have what I want. We both do."

Giles looked worried. "Oh dear."

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Blast Room – Same Time

Jeff was the first one to get up off the floor. Dust and darkness interfered with his vision, but he knew he wasn’t the only one alive because he heard the others coughing too.

"Dawn? Willow? Skye?"

"Here," Skye’s voice called through the darkness. She was dirty, but rose unhurt. She looked around in the gloom. "Dawn honey?" A tiny edge of panic entered her voice. "Dawn?"

From maybe ten feet away, a familiar voice said "Owie," and Skye visibly relaxed. Dawn tossed a piece of cardboard off her own face and coughed. "I need…a bath. A nice, long, hot bath."

Skye chuckled. "We’ll get you one, just as soon as—" She stopped when she heard a growl behind her. Slowly she turned. Rising from the debris was a lupine figure, dark and clearly dangerous. Its eyes were filled with rage, and drool ran from its gaping jaws. Broken shackles dangled from its wrists. Skye froze.

"Camille!" Oz called, half naked but still in his human form. Despite his shackles, he managed to move slightly towards his wife. "No…don’t. Listen to me…"

The beast did seem to listen, but only barely, staring at Oz with an unreadable expression. Skye meanwhile tried not to breathe. Dawn, on the other hand, was breathing very hard indeed.

The last to rise, Willow groaned and sat up. Instantly, Camille turned towards the new sound. Willow’s eyes grew huge at the sight. She held up her hand and said "Tar!" in a commanding voice.

Nothing happened.

Camille snarled and began to move towards Willow.

"Tar? Tar! Tar, dammit…!" Willow shook her hand as if willing it to work.

There was another sound, this time the creak and crash of old machinery in motion. The blast door of the room began to rise. Camille once again turned her huge head towards the new sound, this time sniffing with her snout for some whiff of the newcomers.

"Got it!" Robin’s voice could be heard from the other side of the rising door.

With a snarl, Camille began to move towards the door. She looked exactly like a predatory beast who’d just caught sight of her next meal.

Faith and Mia were the first ones to step under the slowly rising door and into the blast room.

"It’s Camille!" Oz cried out.

The two slayers moved in perfect unison. Each drew their tranq guns, like gunslingers of the old west, and fired simultaneously. Once hit, Camille’s momentum carried her a little distance, but not far before she collapsed.

Faith said, "Where’s Cassandra and her boyfriend?"

Willow blinked. "Boyfriend?"

"The other werewolf? Where are they?" She sounded frantic, and the six Slayers that entered now looked equally grim.

"We don’t know," said Dawn. At that very moment, some more movement registered, in the other side of the room. The Slayers pointed their weapons. Skye and Jeff rushed to Dawn’s side. Oz knelt beside Camille. Then, as the door rose further, the additional light revealed something that had nearly everyone staring or blinking.

Standing there was a wolf. Not a werewolf. Not some kind of supernatural creature. But, as far as any could tell, just an ordinary wolf. It looked at them exactly as a natural creature would, warily, but with no discernable malice. After a moment, another wolf emerged from the shadows and stood beside it. The two creatures appeared to be…mates.

Cut to: Int. Watchers Library – Moments later

Giles and Rowena continued to listen and watch the media file.

"…five centuries of the same dreariness," Cassandra continued in her recording, "dozens of languages, hundreds of things to try, thousands of people to meet or kill, and they all turn to dust. Even as a vampire I couldn’t escape it, the human condition. Worry about the past, worry about the future, worry about how the past and the future affect the present." She sounded sick and weary. "No more. From now on, we will live. Really live. Live in ways and with such purity that the rest of you can’t even comprehend. I almost pity you, still burdened as you are with the garbage of civilization and sentience. But soon, I won’t be ‘almost’ anything. By now, I’ll be myself – pure and unencumbered. I’ll be really alive and in love and free." There was a strange smile on her face now, and she seemed enraptured by a vision only she could see. Suddenly, she turned again to the camera. "So, goodbye, you pathetic creatures. All of you. And good riddance."

The image stopped.

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Blast Room – Same Time

Everyone stared at the two wolves. Willow was on her cell-phone. "You’ve called animal control? Good. Okay, then, we’ll be headed back. The ritual?" She looked at Oz, cradling the unconscious Camille in his arms. "We’ll have to get back with you about that." Now unshackled, Oz was whispering to Camille, stroking her head, and as he did, she began to change. Still unconscious, she returned to human form – sans fur and fangs and snout and claws. It took nearly twenty seconds for the change to be complete, but as he whispered to her, everything lupine in her appearance faded away.

Faith knelt down. "I’ll help you with her."

"Thanks," he said.

Faith and Oz lifted Camille and carried her out of the blast room.

Dawn, leaning on Skye, could hardly take her eyes off the two wolves in the corner. As Willow shut down her cell-phone and approached, Dawn said, "I don’t get it."

"This must be what they wanted," Willow answered.

"But to be wolves? Why?"

"Maybe to let go of all the grief and trouble that comes with being human?" suggested Skye.

"But…she wasn’t human," Dawn said.

Xander stepped up. "Maybe she was in every way that counted. For her, anyway. And him."

Vi, next to Xander, said "You know, it’s even kinda romantic."

Skye opened her mouth, then closed it again. Then she said, "In a very weird way."

"Very," agreed Dawn, "very weird."

Cut to: Int. Old Foundry – Main Floor – Same Time

Faith and Oz carried the slack form of Camille out of the foundry. Circled protectively around them, more out of habit than anything else, were Mia and the other Black Ops slayers. Robin went with them.

Above, in the catwalk scaffolding, a single figure remained absolutely still. Her eyes were fixed on the woman being carried as well as on those with her. She wore her hair back in a ponytail, and her clothes resembled in a superficial way the garb of the Black Ops slayers, though without the high tech. The woman’s eyes managed to be icy, yet burn at the same time. And they burned with hatred. Raw. Vivid. Deep.

She remained absolutely still, unnoticed by any below her.

To Be Continued

End of Blue Moon