Teamwork is magic Pt 3

Title: Teamwork is Magic pt. 3
Author: Torrilin
Pairings: Buffy/Riley (Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya)
Rating: PG-13
Length: ~2200 words
Timeline: S4, Where The Wild Things Are, with a twist AU during the episode
Warnings: Canon typical violence and gore, Buffy and Riley romance, script format, body horror and body image (milder than typical for the show)
Notes: The script grew, so we may yet get somewhere. The Spike/Buffy is mostly friendship not romance-y, given where I’m going off canon. The ending isn’t super happy and funny. Also, we run into another minor change in this. And this is unbetad. Please tell me if you catch errors or are confused.

Part 1
Part 2

INT. GILES’ APARTMENT
— GILES, TARA and ANYA rearrange furniture and clear space for the ritual. The sofa is shoved out of the way, chairs get tucked in corners, the rug gets rolled up and the floor swept. Candles get set up to mark the ritual space. WILLOW finishes typing. —

WILLOW
Giles, can I use your printer so we all have a clean copy of the ritual?

GILES
Please do, it’s still the guest room.

EXT. LOWELL HOUSE
XANDER and SPIKE are in the front yard. When they left, the house looked like a house. Now, it’s a night blooming jasmine covered mess. No visible windows or doors, plants everywhere. The porches look more like caves that might eat you than a nice place to chat. And the jasmine is blooming, so the scent is overpowering.

XANDER
I get the feeling we shouldn’t get closer.

SPIKE
Yeah, we could say that.

— he gestures at one of the trees in the yard. —

SPIKE
Here, some concealment from the street.

INT. GILES’ APARTMENT
The room is dark and lit by candles, 8 to mark the outer circle, 4 to mark the inner one. TARA, GILES, and ANYA are chanting with their eyes closed. WILLOW has her eyes open and is staring at the ghostly forms surrounding the circle, rather panicked. She stays on time with the chant, but grows steadily more shrill sounding. She is clearly freaked out. Her panicked chanting cues the others to open their eyes. TARA brings her hands up over her head like a conductor, then lets them drift down slowly in a cue for decrescendo to silence. ANYA begins the questioning part of the ritual.

EXT. LOWELL HOUSE
SPIKE and XANDER have plopped down under their tree and are busily arguing.

XANDER
C’mon, you can’t tell me you don’t like Mace Windu.

SPIKE
True, and if I did I’d be lying. And evil. So no, I don’t like Mace Windu. And is it just me or do things look a lot less planty than before we started arguing about pod racing?

XANDER
I can see a window I think.

SPIKE
Break the door down now or wait?

— XANDER heaves himself up. —

XANDER
I think wait, mostly because I’m the one who will end up sharpening the axes after. And I grabbed battle axes, so the blades won’t do well against wood.

SPIKE
Was thinking of going and smashing that glass door in.

— he bounces in place —

XANDER
Be my guest.

— They head up the sidewalk and Spike lines up a reversed axe blow at the door. XANDER stands a good 10m back and to the side.

SPIKE goes flying again, but there’s a crash of glass and wood as the door breaks outward under the axe blow. —

XANDER
This is a lot more fun when you go flying.

— SPIKE has vamped out and is sitting up growling at the door. —

XANDER
Any time you want to go in, I’ll be right here cheering for you.

— SPIKE glares at XANDER, growls some more and breaks off wincing. —

SPIKE
OW! Bugger, I wasn’t anywhere near you and it shocked me.

XANDER
Yeah, biting isn’t sexy. Or gentle.

SPIKE
Says the human.

INT. GILES’ APARTMENT
ANYA
Ok, so we haven’t figured out a way for them to talk, but they are angry and wanting vengeance.

— she ducks as one of the circle of children throws a book at her head —

TARA
So we just keep dodging?

GILES
I believe it’s our best shot.

WILLOW
Are you worried about another Egyhon thing?

GILES
YES!

— he dodges another book —

GILES
Particularly since this ritual is so old and not designed for ritual possession.

WILLOW
So breaking the inner circle won’t do it?

ANYA
Don’t do that!

TARA
If one was in there talking to us, maybe.

ANYA
But they’re not talking, and they aren’t willing to try yes and no questions.

–TARA dodges a book —

GILES
So we keep them busy as long as we can.

EXT. LOWELL HOUSE
SPIKE
Your turn. Three’s my limit

— XANDER walks up to the door, examines the edges, and tries to step through. Spike lays on the grass, carefully checking that all his body parts work. —

XANDER
Lots less planty in here now. C’mon in.

— he turns around slowly in the front hall, getting oriented and looking for hazards. —

SPIKE
If it looks like they’re getting uppity, you get first crack.

XANDER
Will do.

— They climb the stairs to Riley’s room, XANDER chopping any jasmine tendrils that get within axe reach. As the vines get thicker, SPIKE joins in. At the top of the stairs, a stiff wind blasts them, setting SPIKE’s coat flapping and making XANDER grab the railing. SPIKE pushes him forward a few steps, and gets in a swing or two at jasmine branches as he does so.–

SPIKE
This the right door?

XANDER
Yeah, I think so.

— XANDER opens the door. There’s no floor, no walls, no furniture, just a great black emptiness. —

XANDER
I don’t know what I was expecting.

— SPIKE peers up over XANDER’s shoulder —

SPIKE
Huh.

— SPIKE kicks a jasmine branch into the void. It falls for a long while before it vanishes into the blackness. —

XANDER
Well, there’s not much we can do with this.

— XANDER turns to shut Riley’s door —

BUFFY
SPIKE?! XANDER? KNOCK NEXT TIME!

RILEY
Privacy, look into it. Closed door means privacy!

SPIKE
The house got a little possessed. You can stay if you want.

XANDER
But I wouldn’t recommend it. When we opened the door you weren’t in here.

— SPIKE eyes the growing vegetation, and aims an axe blow at a jasmine branch heading for him and XANDER. —

SPIKE
And I’m not sticking around for getting eaten.

— SPIKE vaults over the balcony railing and lands near the front door. —

XANDER
Yeah, it looks like it’s starting again, get out NOW!

— he runs for the stairs as the jasmine starts to spread. BUFFY and RILEY follow, trailing sheets and blankets. What can be seen of their bodies is pale and skeletal. They look deathly ill, and neither one is moving quickly. They both look furious. —

EXT. LOWELL HOUSE
BUFFY
I don’t care. I’m going back to my room for clothes.

— she turns and stalks off. —

XANDER
Really Buffy, I would have knocked if I thought it would work!

SPIKE
I’ll just push off then. I don’t think she’ll believe anything I back you up on mate.

— XANDER trails after BUFFY. SPIKE takes a few steps in one direction, curses softly, and heads in a different direction. —

— RILEY stands there, torn. He turns to go back inside, but the house is totally covered in vines. He tears off running through the side yard. —

EXT. STEVENSON HALL
— XANDER still trails after BUFFY, doing his best to look anywhere but at her. She stalks up to the front door and rattles it. —

BUFFY
Um. Keys. I don’t have mine.

XANDER
We can try calling Giles. Willow should still be there. C’mon.

— he grabs the door and holds it for a group of students with keys. Then he drags BUFFY into the lobby and over to the desk phone. BUFFY picks up the phone and dials a number from memory. —

GILES (O.S.)
Hello?

BUFFY
Giles, it’s me. Xander got me out. Is Willow there?

GILES (O.S.)
Erm, yes. One moment.

— quiet noises as Giles puts the phone down and gets Willow. Xander drifts over to a couch and sits down so he’s not hovering over the phone call.–

WILLOW (O.S.)
Buffy! Are you all right?

BUFFY
Um, maybe? I feel really weird and I don’t have my keys and I just want to sleep.

WILLOW
I’ll be there in a few minutes.

INT. STEVENSON HALL LOBBY
— XANDER and BUFFY are sitting on the couch together, with BUFFY using XANDER as a pillow. WILLOW rushes in and is shocked. In a well lit room, BUFFY is visibly gaunt. She looks like she has lost at least 10 pounds since the morning.–

WILLOW
Buffy, have you eaten lately?

— She grabs Buffy’s free hand and helps her up, then drags her over to the vending machines. —

BUFFY
No, my wallet’s with my keys. And my student ID.

WILLOW
Oh boy. I’ll get you the cookies you like.

— She swipes her ID and bangs buttons on the vending machine a few times in quick succession. The machine twists out a bag of cookies, some peanut butter crackers and a couple candy bars. —

WILLOW
Now let’s get you home.

— The trio heads down a hallway towards Buffy and Willow’s dorm room. —

INT. STEVENSON HALL, BUFFY’S ROOM
XANDER (O.S., through the door)
I’ll wait out here while you get dressed Buffy.

— WILLOW fishes through Buffy’s dresser. Buffy droops on the bed, still wrapped in a sheet, holding the crackers in her lap. —

WILLOW
Here, comfy sweats. Unless you want PJ’s?

BUFFY
I’m not sure. I feel weird.

WILLOW
Well, I’m sure you’ll feel better with clothes on. I’ll be in the hall with Xander.

BUFFY
OK.

— WILLOW steps out of the room. BUFFY gets up and looks at the sweats WILLOW picked out. She half puts the pants on under her sheet. She stops and walks over to the dresser, pants and sheet dragging. She paws through a couple drawers and pulls out a pair of socks. She plops down onto the floor and puts on a sock, starts to finish putting on the sweatpants, and then gets up to paw through the drawer some more. She comes out with a sports bra and gets it on. She hobbles back over to the bed and pulls on her sweat shirt when WILLOW pokes her head back in the door. —

WILLOW
Buffy, do you need help?

BUFFY
Yeah, I’m spacey. Can I have a hug?

WILLOW
Yup!

— WILLOW hugs BUFFY around the sheet, looks at the chaos and goes to grab a pair of panties from the dresser. WILLOW hands Buffy the undies, and continues to help her get dressed.–

WILLOW
This should help. Sit down and I’ll get your other sock.

INT. BUFFY AND WILLOW’S DORM ROOM
XANDER, BUFFY and WILLOW are using WILLOW’s bed as a couch, kind of puppy piled together with sodas and more junk food.

XANDER
So Spike made me try the door. Here, have some of these Buff.

— He hands her some of his chips. —

XANDER
And I didn’t go flying. It was very cool. I dodged almost all the possible house attacks. Until you yelled at me.

BUFFY
Sorry about that. It was pretty startling. It felt so peaceful and quiet before.

WILLOW
I guess that would be nice. But those plants weren’t very peaceful, and I could have done without the book dodging.

XANDER
Book dodging? You mean research?

WILLOW
No, I meant literally. Here, look at this bruise!

— She pulls her arm out of her sleeve and gestures —

WILLOW
It should be getting purple already. I hope.

— BUFFY and XANDER both look at her shoulder and upper arm, and BUFFY pokes at it gently —

BUFFY
Yeah, there’s one on your shoulder coming out real purple. Looks like it’s all muscle damage and surface-y.

XANDER
I guess things got exciting after Spike and I left?

WILLOW
Yeah, those spirits or pennants were not happy. Many books were thrown. At all of us. Anya seemed pretty out of it after one hit her on the head. Giles wants her to stay with someone tonight, not go back to her place alone.

XANDER
Buffy, food. Goes in the Buffster.

WILLOW
Yeah, you can sleep after you finish that one. We can do the health center thing tomorrow.

— BUFFY nods and keeps chewing a big mouthful of cookies, then gulps it down with soda. —

BUFFY
Yes, mom.

EXT. UC SUNNYDALE GROUNDS
— We see RILEY, unconscious, still wrapped in a blanket, curled up near a garage or utility building entrance, part hidden under a bush. Or maybe it’s part of the Art department. It’s a little hard to tell. GRAHAM and FORREST come out of the building and take a few minutes to find RILEY. They’re clearly looking for someone. —

FORREST (speaking into a walkie talkie)
Graham found him ma’am.

–GRAHAM checks RILEY’S pulse. —

GRAHAM
He’s got a pulse. But he looks like hell.

FORREST
Yes, ma’am. He’s alive but unconscious. It looks like we need a backboard if we’re going to move him.

INT. INITIATIVE LOBBY
— DR WALSH addresses a cluster of men in camo fatigues, including GRAHAM and FORREST. —

DR WALSH
We’re transferring Riley to Sunnydale Memorial. Dr Smith has called an ambulance over to transfer him. Bunk everyone down here for tonight. We can figure out the paperwork with the University and NIH tomorrow.

GRAHAM
Yes ma’am. Will we be able to visit Ri tomorrow?

DR WALSH
I’m not an MD. We’ll see what the hospital says after everyone has some SLEEP. If the rehydration IVs work and he’s conscious tomorrow, probably yes.

— She gestures for them to get moving. —

THE END

 

Originally posted at http://seasonal-spuffy.livejournal.com/561003.html