Trinity
Teaser
Story by Gelfing21
Written by Gelfing21 (additional writing by Zahir al Daoud)
Directed by Gelfing21 and CN Winters
Produced by CN Winters and Susan Carr
Edited by DragonWriter17
Sounds by CSR
Art Direction by Robert Kidman
Artists – Robert Kidman, CN Winters, Zahir al Daoud, Mattxxx, Isis and Humaira
Fade In:
Int.
Watchers Council – Classroom – Morning
'Shannon Matthewson, Attorney At Law,' the letters on the door glass read. They were stylish, but professional-looking, just like the young woman who sat tall and straight behind her desk, listening to her client's troubles. With a toss of her head, her long tresses of hair shimmered – like water in sunlight – like water in moonlight – like glistening waves of water in – like snow-covered mountains in the bright rays of –
"Shannon!"
Shannon looked up quickly from her laptop.
Willow walked up a couple of more steps from behind. "This isn't creative writing class," she scolded. "And from the looks of it," she said, reading what Shannon had attempted to write, "it's a good thing."
Shannon's classmates giggled. Lorinda, two seats up, was turned in her chair, smirking. Shannon glared back, but said nothing.
"Shannon..." Willow called. The slayer looked up at her. "Shannon, please click the link on the homepage and log on with everyone else for the tutorial. Okay?" She gave the girl a semi-stern look and continued walking toward the front of the classroom. "Now how many of you remember what the significance of the..."
Shannon waited for Willow to pass completely before she sneered at Lorinda. The other slayer merely watched her with a cold smile and turned away as Willow continued past. Willow looked back at Shannon. The girl was already looking at the tutorial.
Fade To:
Int.
Skye's Room – Same Time
"We can do this, Dawn."
"Of course we can do it," Dawn replied. "But it won't solve anything."
"Who says we have to solve anything?"
"Skye..."
"Dawn..."
"It'll be like 'living outside the box'."
"You mean 'thinking outside the box'," Dawn replied.
"Hello. Vampire. I live outside the proverbial pine b –"
"Will you stop being so stupid! It's not like I don't want to."
"But?" Skye prompted.
"But it's not that simple. I'm not the only one it would affect."
"Your sister needs to find someone else to obsess over."
"I'm not talking about Buffy," Dawn said. "I'm a watcher, Skye. I have a slayer. A slayer who happens to have had her original watcher die in defense of her. A slayer who didn't want me as her watcher to begin with. A slayer who took a long time to come around to trusting me. Shannon and I are in a good place now and...I can't just do that to her."
"Then we'll see if she wants to come with us."
"Will not!"
"Why?" Skye asked.
"She's thirteen, for one thing! There're laws about minors you know!"
Skye rolled her eyes. "Is that the best you can do?"
"Even if she was of age, she's a slayer, Skye. Do you want to be around a slayer without a 'no staking' policy in place?"
Skye snorted. "If I stay here, I will get staked. You've heard the rumors." Dawn looked away uncomfortably. "Rowena can only cover my ass for so long, we both know that. And between just us, she doesn't hold the same sway here she once did, especially since your big sis took over, who incidentally wouldn't shed a tear if they were sweeping me into a dust pan." Skye finished the rant and took a breath. "Besides, Shannon wouldn't stake me," she added.
"Oh no?"
"Nope. Shannie likes me."
"Shannie? How do you figure that and since when do you call her 'Shannie'?" Skye only smiled at Dawn's question. "Okay, give. What's been going on under my nose?"
"Well, let's just say that after Ethan Rayne off'd old Filbert the Fido –"
"Rupert the Dog."
" – whatever – Shannie found herself a new stray to look after."
"What are you saying?"
"Arf."
"Skye! Has Shannon been here? She's not allowed in this section of the dorm. None of the junior slayers are, especially after that bout you had with Lorinda!"
"Hasn't stopped Shannon." Skye smiled. "And I'm glad."
Cut To:
Ext.
Watchers Council – Athletic Field – Later
Shannon giggled into her cell phone. "I don't care. Skye's pretty funny. I like her, vampire or not…Yeah, well, Bonnie was bitch."
"Hey, Shannon! Let's go!" Casey called out. "Get back to your squad!"
"I gotta go," Shannon said into the receiver. "Norm, promise me – no tellin'. Okay? Okay, Norm? Not your mom or your dad and especially not little big-mouth Janie."
"Shannon!"
"I'll call you later. Gotta run." Shannon clicked her cell phone off and ran to the group of junior slayers waiting by the track.
"Thanks for joining us, Shannon," Casey said sarcastically. "Now drop and give me a hundred for holding up the class."
Shannon immediately dropped to the ground and began to do quick push-ups.
"One-armed," Casey said.
Shannon stopped, put one arm behind her back, and picked up with number seven.
"From the beginning."
Shannon stopped, then began again, doing her one-armed push-ups from number one.
The rest of the class moved off to the field to start their training. Shannon lifted her head and smiled smugly as she watched them go.
Fade Out
End of Teaser
Act One
Starring:
Lacey Chabert as Skye Talisker, Gale Harold as Jim Pollan, Elijah Wood as Jeff Lindquist, Steffani Brass as Shannon, Laura Pyper as Casey, Robert Picardo as Dr. Miller, Rachel Hurt-Wood as Lorinda
Guest Starring:
Robin Sachs as Ethan Rayne, Tracy-Ann Oberman as Cameron Kreswell, Kyle Gallner as Camden Kreswell, Freddie Highmore as Norman Hansen, Reba McEntire as Joelle Hansen, James Leary as Clem
Fade In:
Int.
Watchers Council – School Corridor – Later That Morning
"I told you she has a new pet," Lorinda sneered to Casey. The older slayer peered down the corridor and saw Shannon standing with her back to one corner of the wall and Skye with her back to the other corner. Shannon nodded very slightly, and Skye smiled. Suddenly, something quietly passed from Skye's hand to Shannon's. Then Skye walked away.
"Shannon!"
Shannon jumped.
Casey strode over to her. "What's in your pocket?" the older slayer demanded.
"Nothing."
Lorinda stood at Casey's side, smirking. "We saw you, Shannie! You and Skye just made an exchange. So show us whatcha got, Shannie Shannie Mega-Fanny!"
Shannon took a swing at Lorinda and missed as the girl leaned out of the way.
"Shannon!" Casey shouted.
"Casey!" Faith called from a short distance away. "What the hell is going on?" She turned to the two junior slayers. "Why aren't you two in class? The bell's rang."
Three sets of eyes looked at her. "Rung," she corrected herself. "What's going on?"
"She's makin' all nicey-nice with the vamp!" Lorinda cut in. "Vamp-Lover!" she spat.
"Shut up!" Casey said. "I'm in charge, I'll tell it."
Faith gave Casey a dubious look and folded her arms over her chest. "Okay, Chief. For the third and final time, what's –"
"She's got somethin' going with Skye."
Faith blinked a few times. "She's a little young for – what do you mean?"
"I haven't done anything!" Shannon answered curtly.
"Then what's Casey talking about?"
"I'll tell you what Casey and Miss Snitch over there are talking about," a new voice cut in.
Three slayers turned to face Skye, who walked up behind Shannon. Shannon stood defiantly, her fists clenched by her side.
"Me and Shannon over here got a little game goin'. We play each other for points. We keep track by trading off little white stones – you know, those gravelly things that are outside on the driveway? Well...the one with the most stones at the end of game wins. Show 'em, Shaaaannie," Skye smirked.
Shannon sighed and reached into her pocket, pulling out a white stone.
Faith huffed at it and looked back at Skye, skeptically. "So, you carry rocks around with you all day?"
"I don't. Shannon does. She's great at this game."
"And what game is that exactly?" Faith asked, smoothly.
"Oh...just a...little..."
"Sudoku!" Shannon said. "We play off at Sudoku. She wins, it's a stone for her. I win, it's a stone for me. The person with the most stones after a series wins. She got all the stones before the – the series – was over and – and I just won a game, so I get a stone back. I can beat her if I win –"
Faith stared at Shannon, her mouth open in disbelief.
"What is wrong with you?" Casey breathed at Shannon.
Lorinda sneered and said to Skye, "I am soooo gonna stake you someday, Vampyra." With an ugly grin she added, "And I'll make sure Shannie's there to see it."
Skye laughed lightly. "No. You're not. Only Shannon gets to stake me," she smiled mockingly at Lorinda. Shannon spun around and looked at Skye as if Skye had gone mad. "Yup. I'm lettin' no one stake me 'cept Shannon." She slung an arm around Shannon's neck and leaned on her in a comradely way. "Right, little sis?" she asked.
Shannon shifted her eyes to the three dumbfounded slayers.
"Shannon, get to class. You too, Lorinda," Faith ordered.
"You heard her," Casey said. "Get go –"
"Casey, enough." Faith gestured with her head, and Shannon and Lorinda quickly and quietly went off to their class.
"See you for the big tournament, Little Sis!" Skye called after Shannon. She smiled and waved at the departing girl.
Faith stepped directly in front of her. Skye was still grinning as she lowered her hand. "No, you won't. No tournament. No games. No stones. I see you near any slayer, including Shannon, for anything other than you gettin' an ass-kicking, and I'll stake you myself, little sister."
Skye pursed her lips at Faith and made a long kissing sound.
Casey reached around to her back, where she kept her stake tucked in her pants waist. Faith stopped her with a hand to her arm.
"Who's gonna know?" Casey asked, looking around. "We're alone, and all it'd be is a little dust. We could open the double-doors and watch it blow away."
"No," Faith said, staring narrowly at the grinning vampire. "Not now. Not yet."
"I don't get it, Faith! Ro's done with her! She's just making a nuisance of herself and smelling up the place!"
"I said no!" Faith turned on her. "Now get to wherever it is you need to be. Don't you have a class somewhere?"
Casey huffed, then looked hard at Skye. Skye batted her eyes at Casey.
"You're gonna get yours," Casey told her calmly. "And I hope it's not a staking. I hope it's a long, slow burn in the sun. I hope you scream for hours. And that your girlfriend's there to hear you."
Skye's face fell. Casey smiled then, but Skye remained quiet.
Faith waited. Seeing that the vampire was not taking Casey's bait, she said quietly, "Go on, Casey."
Skye smiled, menacingly, and reached a finger forward without warning. Not expecting such a move, Casey and Faith stood transfixed until the vampire had already tapped Casey gently on the tip of her nose. "Ciao," Skye said lightly, then turned and walked away.
Casey started toward her, but Faith put one arm out and blocked her.
"Go on," she told Casey. "Get to your own class."
"Okay, I'm going..." she left muttering.
Faith frowned, still looking down the hallway where Skye had departed.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Buffy's Office – Later
"Look, B, I get the whole slayer-in-love-with-vampire thing. It happens, I get that. But this chick ain't no Angel." Buffy shot Faith a baleful look at the comment, but Faith went on, unmindful. "And she ain't no Spike, either."
"And Dawn is not me," Buffy said simply.
"Yeah. Y'know, B," Faith said nodding her head and crossing her arms, "you're right. Dawn's not you. What happens when Dawn has to dust her? She's not a slayer. Hell," Faith said with toss of her head, "she's not even a very good watcher."
"You realize you're talking about my sister, right?" Buffy said defensively, then smiled tightly.
"Listen, B, all I'm sayin' is that your little sister, and her slayer, are both being taken in by Skye. And even if nothing comes of the whole thing except Skye finally gets dusted, it's gonna go down hard with the two of them. You ready to see your little sis go down heartbreak row like you? And what about Shannon? Think that kid's ready for a guilt trip like that if she winds up stakin' that warped vampire?"
"Faith, I'll talk to Dawn."
Faith held her hands up and shot Buffy a rueful smile. "None o' my business," she said. "Catch you later."
"Yeah, later," Buffy smiled blandly and waited until Faith left the room. Then she huffed a sigh and picked up the phone. She dialed a number and waited, impatiently tapping her foot. "It's Buffy. I'd like some advice…No, actually it's about Dawn…Well, I love them but they'll be too distracting – no offense – and we need some 'serious-time.'…Two o'clock works for me. Thanks, Giles."
She looked out the window and sighed.
Cut To:
Int.
Skye's Room – Same Time
Skye plopped the white stones into the large glass jar. It was nearly three quarters full. Dawn watched from the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms folded.
Skye held one white stone above the jar and then let it drop onto the rest within. "Almost there, Dawn," she said quietly. "Just a few more stones, and it'll be time."
"Stop it, Skye."
"Hey, it's not like we have to fill another one."
"Faith told me what happened out in the hall between classes today," Dawn said, approaching the vampire.