2.17 Things Fall Apart

Chase: “I just think you should know, Devon, that you’ve officially lost my vote.”

Director: We have lots of scenes tonight.
GalleryChase: “I hope they don’t suck.”

Snow falls in the clear beauty of the forest. Feet crunch in the deep powder, and Chase and Geoff survey the scene, smiling at their steaming breath. Geoff carries a saw.

Chase breathes deeply, happily scanning the forest. "Rachel says we should find one that speaks to us. Apparently if we don't, it's disrespecting the tree."

Geoff huffs a small laugh. "Vampires, demons, and talking trees. This town gets weirder all the time."

He leans into a tree, listening. "Nope, not this one." Chase laughs as he continues to listen to different trees.

Chase watches him, amused. "I'm pretty sure that's not what she meant."

Geoff gets serious for a moment. "No, wait! My god, this one's talking!"

Chase stiffens, on full alert. "What?"

"It says, 'How'd a guy like you get such a brilliant, beautiful girl?'" He pulls away from it, frowning. "I'm not sure I like this tree."

She hits him lightly. "You are such a dork. And I love that tree."

Geoff pulls her to him for a kiss. Focus on the tree and match cut to the tree in Geoff and... Geoff's place.

GalleryChase: I am resolute yet somewhat preoccupied.

Shannon smiles sadly as she watches Chase stand in the apartment, staring at the yule tree, lost in thought. She offers, ”We haven’t picked ours out yet, if you want to come with us.”

Chase shakes her head no. Raveena enters from the bedroom, snatching yet another of Chase’s already packed items out of mid-air, as she glares around for Freddie. ”Bedroom’s packed. I think. It’s, uh, time to get Rachel.” The ladies all glance at a clock. Shannon encourages Chase to go; they’re almost done. With a shaky nod, Chase agrees.

Outside, Raveena and Shannon load the last boxes into Shannon’s truck. Raveena turns to her. ”God, this is so… I just didn’t think… I mean… I think I’m gonna go check on Geoff. Can you manage for awhile without me?” Shannon tells her to go ahead, and Raveena leaves.

Geoff sleeps at his desk. A Jack-in-the-Box bag, coffee cup, and six pack drop beside him as Eric leans against the desk. ”You know, there’s cots upstairs. And they’d probably build you a closet if you asked.”

Geoff wakes up groggily and grabs the bag. "Thanks.”

”No problem. After Wednesday’s masterclass, I owe ya.”

”What?”

Eric looks at him strangely. ”Remember Wednesday?”

Geoff runs a hand over his face. ”No.”

”Well, I mixed up a batch exactly like you told me.” He drops a bag on the table. “Man, the world has lost a master. If you ever want to rejoin the brotherhood, I’ve got your connect-“

Geoff interrupts him. ”I don’t know what you’re-“

”Yeah, sure. Dude, no one gets that good without a little experimentation, if you know what I mean.”

”Get out.”

”Geez, bad morning. ‘s’alright. I get it. Later then.” He leaves.

”You forgot your…” Geoff stares at the bag of tablets sitting on his desk. With an angry brush of his arm, he sweeps everything to the side in a flurry of papers and spilled coffee.

Raveena: ”Now would you act that way in your mother’s house?”
Geoff: ”If I ever met her? Probably.”
Raveena: “...Oh.”

Raveena enters. ”How are ya? ‘Cause you kinda look like hell.”

Geoff smiles vacantly and turns back to the table. He picks up a stray French fry and waves it about a bit before taking a bite. Raveena gently says, ”We probably should get you something more substantial. Let’s go to breakfast, hon. My treat.”

Geoff looks at her with clearer eyes and takes a deep breath. ”More substantial sounds good. But I got it.”

”Oh, good. ‘Cause I don’t have any money.”

In the cellar of the Boyd-Townsend mansion, Harrison merrily sings Christmas carols while sharpening his sword on a makeshift whetstone. Suddenly he clutches his head in agony as a spasm racks his body. He backs into a wall, knocking down a wine bottle. Catches it. Leans against the wall, gripping it as he sees:

Woods. A demon, maybe nine feet tall, standing upright. Tusks guard its face, muscles packed on muscles glisten as it raises an axe over a battered, barely conscious Raveena, who struggles to pull herself away. The demon swings down.

Harrison wakes, eyes staring forward. The bottle in his hand crushes, spilling wine now mixed with fresh blood. He turns his eyes upward. ”If in trying to stop this, I cause it, I will hunt you down one by one. Even gods have a weakness.” He picks up his sword.

Deaver’s apartment. Deaver taps on the blinking answering machine, and turns on his monitor. His Watcher’s Journal comes up as the machine says:

“Hey, it’s Brandon. I know you all are panicking about me, so I thought I’d let you know I’m not dead yet, just at Jeanine’s.”

Deaver smiles a little as he types.

The doorbell rings, and he rises to get it. It’s Harrison. ”I’m sorry to come to your home, but I need your help. Is Raveena still packing?” Deaver nods. ”Good. Let’s go. I’ll explain on the way. And call Stefan. We may be going hunting.”

Deaver: “Harrison, there’s something I need to tell you!”
GalleryGabe: “I love you.”

On the way out, Deaver tells Harrison about an invention he thinks he’s perfected. It’s a fireproofer, designed specifically for Harrison since he can’t be poisoned. It could allow Harrison to effectively fight Amory. This gives Harrison pause as he ponders the possibilities. He thanks Deaver, then they continue to the library.

Rachel: “I have a new perspective on ‘at least I’m not dead.’”

At the hospital, Chase picks up a stir-crazy Rachel. Rachel hops in Chase’s Cherokee, and they head for the library where Gabe has called a meeting. Just in time, too, as everything’s pointing towards tonight as the big night for Devon’s sorcerous return.

Harrison, Stefan, and Deaver have determined that Harrison’s vision was about a N’yan-N’ya-At, an strong, intelligent demon that fortunately hasn’t been seen in this dimension in millennia. The boys realize they can’t hunt it, then, until somebody (Devon maybe…) summons it. They agree that Harrison will tell Raveena after the meeting. She has a right to know…

Chase: “Ew – I hate Gauloises.”
Stefan [opening his coat like a watch salesman]: “I’ve got all kinds.”

Raveena arrives with Geoff and Chase with Rachel. Raveena, Harrison, Chase, and Deaver discuss Deaver’s fireproof method, which involves pumping him full of a fireproof jelly, similar to the one used in NASCAR races. Raveena’s a little weirded, but supports anything that’ll help him stay alive.

Gabe: “Ladies and gentlemen! We are here to discuss the end of the world!”

From the stacks, many books slam shut, and Gabe appears, surrounded by floating reference tomes. Chase, still angry over his treatment of Rachel, barks at him to quit the theatrics.

Gabe explains what Devon’s plan probably consists of, which he’s figured based on the clues they’ve gathered, and what he personally would put together if he wanted to make himself a mojo-fied badass and had zero conscience, so the following info-dump ensues.

Devon will gather a bunch of witches together, preferable 13, and teach them the spell. They will need to perform it. Devon will be the recipient and not a caster.

Collect as many sacrifices as you can, preferably one for every witch (13). For a spell of this order, human sacrifices will be necessary. Humans with special powers would be a bonus.

Set up a channeling device of some sort, like an amulet, preferably something with powers of its own.

Cast the circle around a Sigil of Baphomet (inverted pentagram with a goat's head in it) using blood from the soon-to-be sacrifices. Devon will probably stand in the middle, sacrifices around him at specified locations on the sigil, and witches forming a circle surrounding them all, just inside the blood circle.

Call on Belial to accept and bless the offering, then the witches will siphon the life force from the sacrifices (looks like black mojo going from the witch to the victim), channel it through the amulet (looks like sparkly energy going from the person to the amulet), which will transfer it to Devon (looks like pretty, concentrated sparkly energy going to Devon; Devon will probably be in pain and not thinking well).

The process is a slow, painful kill, after which the sacrifices will be beheaded and buried in unhallowed ground under a seal of Belial so they will be sacred to the demon and can't rise to their next existence.

Devon becomes a super-power over the next few days, and neither Trish nor anybody else (who survived) loses their powers in the bargain.

This is the kind of spell that is bad to stop in the middle. It would be great if it never started. Stopping it in the middle would release all manner of wonky into the world, and magic can do ANYTHING. Destroy, create, summon, teleport, alter, kill, bring to life... so if the spell gets interrupted, anything could happen, and it will happen big. If anything gets in the way of the siphon, he or she will become the sacrifice instead. If a person gets in the way of the channel, the channel will go through them and straight on to the crystal (you need a channeling device to make the life-force able to be accepted by another human). They will probably have something in place so that nobody but Devon can "pick up" the energy post channel. Potentially something inscribed on the channel and/or a start time that aligns with Devon on a numerological level and/or part of the prayer. All
energies will go through most items; a wall of iron might stop it (iron is a general magic-bane).

The girls agree that more info on who and exactly when would be good, since the gang is a little hesitant to just go kill Devon or any other human involved. They also agree that while the 6 of them seem like good sacrifices from the “Devon hates us” and uber-powerful standpoints, the ritual would work with any 13 people that Devon kidnapped, so making themselves scarce won’t help.

Stefan: “Forcing alcohol down their throats is kinda violent.”
Raveena: “So you’re game?”
Stefan: “Absolument!”

Chase decides to contact Jade and see if she’s got any news on Trisha. If not, Trisha’s the heavy partying type; maybe they can get Trish drunk and get the info from her that way. Rachel and Stefan decide to go with her. After a quick cell phone call, Jade agrees to meet them for lunch, and the three take off.

Stefan: “With a sword stuck through the throat, it is very difficult to chant.”

Harrison asks Raveena to take a walk with him, and she agrees, seeing the seriousness of his request. As they leave, Bethany Caldwell enters, smiling at Deaver with a “Popular place this afternoon…”

Deaver turns to her awkwardly, with a worried expression on his face. ”Uh… have you taken your daughter to see the Christmas lights in Augusta, because tonight might be a really good night for that.” And he leaves to pick up the anti-fire jelly.

Jade: ”You know, you can call me for other reasons.”

Jade laughs at their newest “end of the world” meeting. She doesn’t know anything, but she thinks they can get an interview with Trish if she claims it’s an invite to meet a hot French foreign exchange student.

They find Trisha dancing on a table at a skeevy demon bar near the docks. She already looks toasty happy, much to Chase and Rachel’s prying joy.

GalleryDirector: "Stefan’s French. We assume he’s experimental."

”This the one you brought me?” Stefan smiles charmingly, and Trisha pulls him up onto the table to bump ‘n grind with her. Chase and Rachel go to the bar for a drink. For themselves.

GalleryGabe: “If you get it on with her tonight . . . you just might torpedo her plans.”

Eventually, Stefan escorts Trisha to the bar. They talk about plans, and eventually Stefan asks her what she’s doing tonight. Trish plays a little footsie with him while Chase fills up her glass, and eventually Trish admits that she’ll be busy ‘til a little after midnight… but after that if they’d like to hook up…

At a frozen pond, Harrison and Raveena sit on a bench, watching the happy skaters gliding across the ice. Harrison says with forced levity, ”You can always tell the freshmen, always falling on their arse.” Raveena turns to him, asking what’s the matter, and he takes a deep breath. ”I had a vision…”

Skaters continue to twirl, tumble and laugh as Harrison talks softly. Raveena bows her head at the news. Harrison holds her. Finally he says, “I’d like to know if it were me. And I like to think I got this vision so that we can change it.”

Raveena pulls away softly. ”It doesn’t matter though, does it? I mean, whatever’s gonna happen will happen. I don’t want to die, but eventually something’s gonna get me. That’s a slayer’s life. If I meet him, I fight him. Maybe I’ll live, maybe I won’t. But if I can save somebody else, well, that’s my job, isn’t it?”

Harrison kisses her mouth and her hair, whispering, “You’re the bravest girl I’ve ever met, and I love you.” She lets him hold her a little longer.

GalleryDeaver: I’m not doing everyone in the party!
[and there was much rejoicing]

Deaver returns to the library with the fireproof jelly. Bethany takes notes at a table, glancing briefly at Deaver’s strange load. Gabe is in the stacks, looking for more info. Geoff sleeps in a comfy chair.

Deaver [throwing a book]: “I’m going to throw the book at him!”

Windows crash, the secret door slides open, and feet pound in from the entrance. Six guys in secret ops fashion storm in, tazing the men. Gabe goes out cold, Geoff never even wakes, and Deaver… dodges lithely, chunking a heavy book at one of the attackers, breaking his nose. Another ops guy grabs Bethany, hostage style.

The secret door opens and Bannon storms out, snarling. With one punch he removes the heart of the nearest ops guy. He gets tazed twice, which he shrugs off. Another ops guy changes his taser setting.

Deaver dodges another tazer and moves in towards Bethany, but pulls up short when the guy holding her threatens her with a knife.

Bannon gets blasted with fire. He turns in time to see an indecisive Deaver get tazed, then pulls out powder. He gets shot again with flame as he throws the dust, then says “Via” and melts into the floor. Bethany is tazed, and an ops guy radios in with, “We got four.”

At the bar, Rico Suave… I mean, Stefan… has Trisha in intimate conversation. She invites him to the ‘magic party” she’s going to, and he accepts, saying that he’s always been fascinated by magic. She gives a tipsy laugh.

Rachel’s eyes flash silver, and she yells, “No spells, bitch!” and swipes at Trisha. Even though she’s nowhere near her, scratch marks well up on Trisha’s face… as well as Chase, Jade, and Stefan’s. Jade grabs Rachel, trying to calm her. Doesn’t work. Rachel shoves Jade a way, and everyone in the vicinity flies back several feet. Rachel stares at the ceiling, eyes glittering, and mumbles.

While everyone is distracted, a pipe telekinetically flies in the air, clocking Stefan in the back of the head. He drops.

Rachel’s eyes roll back into her head and she passes out.

Trisha smiles. ”This is so much easier than I thought.” And she blasts Jade with dark energy.

Jade turns to her with black eyes. Chase tries to drag Rachel’s chair out of the way, but a crowd has gathered. Jade is hit again with dark energy, and she goes down. Chase glances around at the gathered demons.

Trish turns to face her. ”You know, I never properly thanked you for saving me from Bloody Mary last year.” A troll bops Chase on the back of a head with hammer, and Chase collapses.

”Huh. And I guess I won’t get a chance.” She smiles and pulls out her cell phone, and dial as she turns to the troll. ”You know where to take them. [into the phone] Yeah, I got four.”

An underground cavern, immense and lush with old world beauty and new world convenience. Bannon appears in his chair in front of a roaring fire. Several vamps hop to attention. He turns a disfigured face to them.

One of them steps forward. ”Sir!”

Bannon turns to his coin collection against one wall, raises a hand, and a coin floats to him. "If Amory fights with them he is cast out. May he rue the day he returned.” He flings the coin into the fire and stands. ”Benjamin, find the slayer. They have Morelli and the Drs. Caldwell, Deaver, and VanGarren. Tell her where they’ll be.” (Benjamin)

Benjamin straightens. ”Yes, sir.” He nods and leaves.

Bannon turns to another one of his attendants. ”Vincent. See if they’ve retrieved Miss McCallum. If not, put her someplace safe.” As Vince leaves, Bannon sits back at the fireplace, deep in thought.

The shadows of evening gather and Raveena and Harrison walk back towards campus, hand in hand. Raveena perks up as she hears an electric hum. She calls quickly, ”Move!” She dives for a tree as Harrison drops and rolls, both barely dodging tazer beams. A fight ensues, Raveena and Harrison diving and dodging as they attempt to stop their attackers. Raveena gets hold of a tazer and starts shooting.

Vampire: “Slayer, yes?”
Raveena: “Slayer, yes. Vamp, no?”
Vampire (offering hand): “Benjamin.”

Three vamps join the fray and the ops boys are quickly dispatched. Raveena turns, unsure, to her undead assistants. They introduce themselves, explaining that Bannon sent them to show her where her friends were being held hostage.

GalleryGabe [mocking Raveena’s notice attempt failure]: “I’m in the library! Do I see a book?”

Harrison and Raveena accept their help. The five head back to the library where Harrison finds the fireproof jelly that Deaver left. They decide to make a stop at the hospital to get him juiced up before finding Devon, as they believe Amory might be there. They get Owen Vasher, who’s already gotten a little of the weird that is, to help, and the vampires lead the way back to the Boyd-Townsend Manor.

Devon leads a line of 13 people, including Trisha, through the maze of wine racks in the Boyd-Townsend cellar. At one wall of bottles and glasses, he stops, takes a bottle of wine from the top rack, uncorks it, and pours a glass for everyone.

He toasts. ”To tonight’s proceedings. May they be profitable.” They all raise their glasses, and everyone drinks. Devon replaces the bottle, and the wall moves aside, revealing a secret door. Devon leads everyone through.

From behind another wine rack, Harrison, Raveena, and the three vamps watch. Raveena and Harrison prepare to enter, and the vamps prepare to leave. (Raveena)”You’re not going to help?” (Benjamin)”Are you crazy? Face 13 witches and Devon? I’m not going in there.” (Raveena)”But Bannon told you to help.” (Benjamin)”I’m pretty sure he told me to show you where this is. I’ve showed you. Good luck.” They leave.

Raveena: "I don’t think you should drink wine with jelly!"

(Raveena)”Vampires!” Harrison laughs a little. (Harrison)”Shall we then?” He pulls the wine bottle from off the rack. They pour, drink, and replace the bottle, and the wall opens. Raveena grabs his hand. (Raveena)”For better or for worse…” And they enter.

Geoff : “Dammit. Couldn’t I have at least died in Hawaii?”

The captives, plus Rowan of Cernunos Grove, are locked in cells. Each witch gets private accommodations and a magic-proof handcuffs. The others are in a lushly furnished cell complete with a last meal of prime rib, steamed vegetables, and trifle.

Bethany awakes and asks if anyone knows what sort of terrorists have them. When Deaver explains that it’s the mayor, her confusion is not helped. Deaver tells the others how Bannon tried to help, which elicits further questions from Bethany.

Down the hallway, 2 tazer laden ops guys stand at closer attention as Amory strides down the hallway. He beckons Geoff to the bars and whispers something to him. Geoff gives him the finger, heads to the table, drops into a chair and serves himself up some tasty food. Chase tentatively asks him what that was about.

Geoff brusquely responds, ”He offered to let me keep my job.” And he eats.

Stefan calls Amory over and pulls out a cigarette, asking for a light. With an amused grin, Amory obliges.

Harrison and Raveena creep down a narrow hallway, within earshot of the witches. A door shuts ahead of them, and they hurry to it. Harrison leans in. (Harrison)”They’re back there. Talking about robes.” Raveena looks about. There’s a ladder leading up. (Raveena)”Door or stairs? I don’t think we’ll last long in a direct assault.” Harrison nods and they head up the ladder.

Chase: “Please proceed to the nearest emergency exit. Keep in mind the closest exit may be behind you.”

Back in the cells, Brandon wakes up just in time to see guys with tazers opening the cell doors. Thirteen people are shuffled out, leaving a few unconscious ones behind. As the line of sacrifices forms up in the hallway, Deaver shoots a look at Brandon. He shrugs. ”Yeah, turns out Jeanine’s a witch.” Chase can’t help but laugh a bit at that.

At the front of the line, a captive screams and tries to run, but is quickly subdued with a tazer blast. Ops guys drag him to the front of the procession as everyone is slowly marched down the hallway. At the end, double doors open noiselessly into darkness.

Raveena and Harrison make their way onto a balcony overlooking a large room with a Sigil of Baphomet painted on the floor. On the opposite wall, door open and Devon leads the witches in. they circle the sigil, and Devon moves to the center. The captives are then marched in from a different door and chained to specific locations on the floor, the more powerful people in the center.

Each witch is tazed to unconsciousness, then the magic-repulsing manacles are dropped. The ops guys form up around the room. The witches start chanting and Devon releases a crystal (not an Illetar) into the air, to float above the formation.

(Harrison)”I think that’s our cue.” The two prepare to jump over the ledge when the doors open again, and Amory marches in. He sees them immediately, and takes four quick bounds to the balcony.

The witches each cut the hand of a sacrifice, allowing their blood to run onto the sigil. Reforming a circle, the chanting stops, and dark magic floods from their hands to the captives.

With an easy leap, Amory lands on the balcony with Raveena and Harrison. Raveena and Harrison draw swords. Amory’s hand ignite, and he throws a balls of flame. Raveena stops, drops, and rolls, but Harrison, though hit square in the chest, doesn’t ignite. Amory watches him, confused, the shrugs and pull out a jeweled sword. A sword fight begins, and Amory can hold his own. Amory focuses his blows on Harrison, and Raveena gets behind him. She raises her sword for a decapitation shot, when the pained wailing from behind her makes her turn. Amory turns and wrests her sword from her, kicking her away from him. Harrison knocks Amory to the ground, but Amory’s next parry sends both swords flying. Harrison moves in with his fists, punching Amory over and over.

Harrison and Amory continue their fight as Raveena slowly raises herself at the railing, watching her friends dying below. She sees the crystal above it all, and remembers a time when she stopped a spell of her mother’s by playing with the crystal involved. She’d gotten a nasty magical backlash, and her mom and scolded her, but the spell had been small, and nothing too traumatic had happened.

Behind her, Harrison knocks Amory unconscious, screaming at him in Gaelic. Raveena looks at him, mouths, “I love you,” and leaps to the crystal in the center. Energy surrounds her as she clings to the stone, but the energy of the spell keeps her aloft. Pulling a dagger, she plunges it into the crystal, shattering it.

Magic contracts, then expands around the crystal, flinging everyone to the ground. Most witches stop their part of the spell, giving some captives a break.

Devon, on his knees, looks up to see sharp shards dashing down around him.

With a mighty roar, Stefan yanks one chain out of the ground, and uses the concrete on the end as a mace, slamming it into the nearest witch.

Rachel wakes up and shakes her hands vigorously. Her chains, and those of everyone else, drop off.

Gabe: “Stay with your girl, or save the world?”

Raveena falls through the magic released by the crystal… and doesn’t come out the other side. On the balcony, Harrison leaves the unconscious Amory and looks for his sword to finish the job, and sees that Raveena is gone. He approaches the railing, and from above can see the portal that has opened, sucking Raveena into another dimension. In his head, Deaver says again, “They haven’t been seen in our dimension in a millennia…” and he realizes that a N’yat N’ya Aht is not on its way.

In the room below, chaos continues. Gabe screams a spell, and the tazers all go berserk, breaking in the hands of the ops guys, and tazing most of them in the process. Rowan gathers the witches together to try and calm the magic. Deaver, Stefan, Chase, and Geoff go pummel-fest on the witches. Devon stands and stares above in horror as a wispy black carriage forms from the magic and smoke above him. The portal begins to close.

On the balcony, Harrison looks to his left, and finds his sword, just a few feet away. In front of him, Amory’s eyes start to flutter. He takes a step towards the sword. The portal beside him shrinks. He hesitates. Catches Stefan’s eye in the chaos below. (Harrison)”Get him for me.” And swan dives into the portal just before it closes.

Stefan races to the balcony and pulls himself up. There he sees Raveena’s sword, and picks it up. Amory starts to wake and groggily drags himself to his sword.

On the ground, Rowan, Rachel, Jade, and Gabe form an outward facing circle. Rowan starts a chant, and the ladies close their eyes. Gabe notices Amory and Stefan, and casts that way before closing his eyes and joining in Rowan’s spell.

On the balcony, Amory picks up his sword and with alarming speed for someone who just had the crap beat out of him, lunges at Stefan with it. Stefan just manages to dodge, then mutters, “Amory, you have caused us too much trouble. I cannot let you go on.” Responding to a mental message sent from Gabe, he swings at Amory’s sword – and breaks it like china. Amory glances at it in astonishment, just long enough for Stefan to swirl around again – decapitating him.

Below, the fight rages in the favor of our heroes, as light emanating from the witches fills the room, cleansing it from the evil influences present for so long…

Raveena, knowing the usual fate of the slayer, prepared letter for her friends and family a long time ago. Her voice echoes over the final actions of our heroes, as they try to deal with a town without their slayer and their friend…

Dearest Chase,

“…If I am at all a lady, it is because I watched you and tried to emulate your style. If I am at all a hero, it is because I learned that reserve is often a better strategy than combat…Don’t feel sadness for me, Chase. I knew fighting the good fight (is that what we were doing?) would eventually end – as all fights do…"

In Raveena’s dorm room, Chase finishes telling Kelly that Raveena is gone, and then holds her as they both cry.

At Rowan’s place, Rachel signs up for a retreat geared at Wiccans entering the priesthood. Rowan smiles brightly as she shakily hands in the paperwork.

“…So, you know that being a slayer means I had some demon bits in me, too. Having evil bits doesn’t make you evil. You have to have the evil kibbles, too. And we don’t. A man is more than a sum of his parts. Who said that? Anyway, it’s true. You are a good man, Stefan. Don’t let the evil bits breed kibbles in you… I hereby bequeath to you, Stefan de Regnier, my patrol areas. Enjoy them while you last…”

In his dorm room, Stefan carefully sheathes his family sword. From under his bed he pulls out the box it came in a ceremonially places it in and slides the box back. Saying a quick prayer, he picks up Raveena’s sword, straps it on, and leaves for patrol.

“…Being a doctor is a divine calling, I think – much like being a slayer. Whether we like it or not, we get called to duty when the need is present, which rarely coincides with our personal schedules… If there’s one thing I’ve learned being a slayer, it’s that you can’t loose hope or loose heart.… Stay good and take care of yourself. ….”

In a west bound plane, Geoff sits staring blankly at the empty seat beside him, the ring rolling through his fingers. As the captain calls for seats in the upright and locked position, he pockets it and turns to the window as the plane rolls away.

“…Magic is a heavy load to bear. I know this because the women in my family have been touched by these gifts for many years. We’ve treated your gifts with disregard at times, asking you to pop a spell or snap an incantation. We shouldn’t have treated magic so slightly. In doing so, we discouraged you from showing proper respect for your gifts. For that, I apologize. I came to lean on your talents when I lost confidence in my own. That is not true friendship. You deserve better than that...”

Gabe sits beneath a tree in the winter sunshine, donned in his back-to-usual black. Cell phone in hand, he dials a long number and gets an answer in Missouri…

“We two, more than the others, were acutely aware of the path my life would follow. And now that path has ended, or you wouldn’t be reading this letter. I sure do hope I went out in a blaze of glory. I mean, what’s all this sacrifice been for if I don’t get a dramatic death scene?!

… You are a Watcher now. I may be gone, but you are not. There are other slayers out there who could use your guidance. Don’t ever loose sight of that, Doc...

I hope that I never disappointed you, Doc... I knew how to be a slayer, but I wasn’t sure how to lead. I never expected I’d have to, really. I was supposed to a lone wolf. That’s how Momma trained me. Then I stumbled upon the Scoobies and everything just fell into place. But I never felt like a leader in our group. Was that my worst quality as a slayer…or was it my best?

…Keep fighting. Keep loving. Keep teaching. And it’d be great if you could manage to stay alive during all this “keeping,” too!”

Deaver sits at his computer, his Watcher’s Diaries up. Nikki’s Waterford lamp stands beside the phone, and he glances at it sadly as he picks up the receiver and dials. We move to the dark computer screen as we hear him say, “I need to speak with Rupert Giles, please. No, it’s about my slay- Raveena…”

And the computer simply says:

Dec. 16, 2004 - “The End”

Woods. A demon, maybe nine feet tall, standing upright. Tusks guard its face, muscles packed on muscles glisten as it raises an axe over a battered, barely conscious Raveena, who struggles to pull herself away. The demon swings down…

And its blade is caught by the hilt of Harrison’s sword.

Summary by: Jen

GalleryDirector (waving Geoff’s character sheet): “Who wants Geoff?”
GalleryDeaver and GalleryGabe: “Not you!”