ASTA Episode 1.06 "The Story of Us" Act 3 & 4
ACT 3
~OUTSIDE THE MONASTERY~
The heavy wooded door of the monastery burst open, taking the five of them outside by surprise. A demon stood at the doorway. His claws gleamed under the moonlight while his long, black tongue snaked out.
PIKE: What the -
XANDER: Holy Mary!
Andrew looked at Pike, confused.
ANDREW: I thought you said nobody was in there?
PIKE: (grimly) Guess I was wrong.
The demon stretched out his arms and clicked his claws together. He smiled wickedly at the five of them.
DEMON: I’m Jeff. Wanna know what I do for fun?
TABITHA: That does not sound good.
Jeff turned his attention to the slayer.
JEFF: You must be Asta. I heard a lot about you.
ASTA: Ok…so he knows my name now.
TABITHA: That can’t be good either.
XANDER: Instead of standing here and talking, how about we kick his ass?
PIKE: Sounds like a good plan.
Pike pulled out a small dagger from the inside of his coat. Gripping it in his right hand, he rushed the demon. As soon as Pike was about to reach him, Jeff bent slightly at his knees and jumped up high into the air. Two large wings unfolded from his back. Jeff hovered about the ground, eyeing his opponents. He set his sights on Tabitha and swooped in for her.
~HADES VALLEY, 1997~
~night~
~cemetery~
Pike got down on one knee and stretched out his hands, lacing his fingers together. He looked up at his sister.
PIKE: Here, I’ll give you a boost.
Tabitha looked down at her brother incredulously.
TABITHA: What?
PIKE: The gate’s locked. I think the authorities heard about the empty graves. So the only way to get in is over the gate.
TABITHA: What?
PIKE: (sighed) Just put your on feet on my hand and I’ll boost you up. Once you’re up there, reach down and help me up. Understand?
Tabitha placed her hands on her hips and glared at Pike.
TABITHA: I’m not breaking and entering.
PIKE: Technically, we are not breaking.
TABITHA: But we are entering - without permission.
PIKE: Look, I know how this looks but I have a good reason for doing this.
TABITHA: Really? Please do enlighten me. I got all night.
Pike sighed and stood up.
PIKE: There have been reports of empty graves in this cemetery. Authorities say that it’s grave-robbing. It’s not.
TABITHA: So what is it then, Sherlock?
PIKE: Vampires.
Tabitha stared at him. Then she burst out loud laughing.
TABITHA: Are you serious? Vampires?
PIKE: Yes, I’m serious. And I brought you here to see them for yourself, so you wouldn’t think I’m crazy.
TABITHA: A bit too late for that.
PIKE: Just trust me on this one ok?
TABITHA: If we get caught, I’m telling on you and I’m not visiting you in jail.
PIKE: (grinned) Deal.
He knelt down again and offered his hands.
~HADES VALLEY, PRESENT~
~outside the monastery~
Xander slammed into Tabitha and tackled her to the ground just at the flying demon swooped over their heads. Tabitha stared back up at Xander, the wind knocked out of her.
XANDER: You alright?
TABITHA: Did it just try to attack me?
XANDER: It did.
A scowl formed on her face.
TABITHA: I don’t like it when demons make me their target.
Xander stood up and pulled Tabitha to her feet. They looked up and saw Jeff getting ready to come at them again.
XANDER: Asta?
ASTA: Behind you.
Xander looked over his shoulder and saw Asta jogging up to him.
XANDER: The demon is after Tabitha.
Asta kept her eyes on Jeff above her head. The others around her were doing the same. The demon was circling them and at that moment there was nothing they could do but to watch and wait for its next move.
ASTA: Do we know why?
XANDER: No. But we need a plan to take him down. Standing here and gawking at him won’t give us any miracles.
Asta’s brow furrowed as she tried to think up a plan. But Xander spoke up before she could think of anything.
XANDER: Duck!
Xander grabbed Asta’s arm and pulled her to the ground as Jeff flew over them. At the corner of her eye, Asta saw Tabitha rolling out of the way while Andrew and Pike scrambled for cover behind a tree.
Jeff laughed as he circled the air.
XANDER: This dude is playing with us.
He glanced over at Asta.
XANDER: A plan right now would be nice before he decides playing with his food isn’t fun anymore.
ASTA: Right. Of course. Erm…Tabitha and I can keep him distracted…
XANDER: What about the rest of us?
ASTA: Take him down when he has his back turned.
~1997~
Tabitha watched as her brother dropped to the ground almost soundlessly. He pulled out a thick, wooden stick.
PIKE: Stay close to me and look out for anything suspicious.
TABITHA: Suspicious? Like a brother and sister walking around with a wooden stick?
PIKE: No, like him.
Pike nodded somewhere towards her left. She turned and spotted a man dusting dirt off his clothes.
PIKE: Come on.
Grabbing her hand, Pike pulled her sister towards the man. He was bent low and was being very quiet. Tabitha followed suit.
TABITHA: (softly) Have you ever wondered that maybe he could be a security guard doing - god forbid - his rounds?
Pike crouched down behind a tall tombstone, pulling Tabitha down with him.
PIKE: Look at what’s his wearing.
Tabitha squinted at the darkness, trying her best to make out what the man was wearing.
TABITHA: A tux?
PIKE: Exactly. Name me one security personnel that wear a tux.
TABITHA: Jay and Kay in Men in Black?
Pike threw his sister a smirk over his shoulder.
PIKE: In this case, we are the men in black and he is…
TABITHA: The scum of the universe.
PIKE: Damn right.
He handed her his stake and Tabitha took it, a skeptical look on her face.
TABITHA: You want me to use this wooden stick? Is it magical?
PIKE: I’ll fight this guy and when you see him that I got him cornered, you come in and stab him with that stake. Make sure you stab his heart.
Tabitha looked at her brother in surprise.
TABITHA: His heart?
PIKE: You ready?
TABITHA: But -
PIKE: Let’s go.
Without waiting for her, Pike got up and ran towards the man.
TABITHA: But I failed Biology!
~PRESENT DAY~
Asta hurried away from Xander and went to Tabitha. She grabbed Tabitha’s upper arm and dragged her away from the monastery.
TABITHA: This guy is too fast and if he stays up in the air like that, we are not going to get him.
ASTA: No problem. We just make sure that he is only after us.
TABITHA: (grimly) That won’t be a problem.
VOICE: (o.s) Tabitha?
Tabitha whirled around in surprise when she heard the voice and cursed under her breath when she saw her parents standing across the street. Her dad was gawking at the demon.
TABITHA: Now, that is going to be a problem.
ASTA: What are they doing here?!
TABITHA: I’m not going to take the time to find out.
Tabitha looked around for her brother. She spotted him coming from behind a tree, trying to sneak up to Jeff.
TABITHA: Oliver! Get mom and dad!
Pike looked at her and then at the direction she was pointing to. He swore loudly.
PIKE: What the hell are they doing here?
TABITHA: (snapped) Do you see a sign on my forehead saying I know the answer? Just get them!
PIKE: Here, take this.
Pike tossed the dagger he was holding to Asta and then ran across the street to get his parents. At that point of time, Jeff roared and came diving towards Tabitha and Asta. Asta shoved Tabitha out of the way and as soon as Jeff was almost on top of them, she jumped as high as her slayer powers enabled her.
Asta grabbed onto Jeff’s waist and clung on. Not expecting the sudden increase in weight, Jeff lost flight and the two crashed to the ground. Somewhere along the way, the dagger slipped out of Asta’s hand and went missing. Not wasting any time, Asta got to her feet and faced the demon. Jeff was still on the ground, having the wind knocked out of him. He got onto his hands and knees slowly.
Asta aimed a sharp kick at his abdomen, causing Jeff to roll a few feet away from her. As he tried to pick himself up, Asta did a quick scan of the ground around her in search of Pike’s lost dagger. A dull gleam of a blade near a tree a few meters away caught her eye. She was about to make dash for it when the sound of running feet stopped her. She looked up and saw Jeff rushing towards her. Jeff slammed into Asta and brought her down to the ground. Straddling her, Jeff struck her across her face. He grabbed the front of her sweatshirt that she was wearing and lifted her off the ground.
With a roar, he threw her against a tree. Asta’s back hit the trunk of the tree hard and she fell to the ground unconscious. Jeff turned and looked around for Tabitha. All he saw was her brother talking animatedly to an older couple. Smiling, Jeff spread his wings and made a beeline towards them.
~1997~
TABITHA: Any moment now, the zombies from Thriller are going to make an appearance, I’m sure.
Tabitha stood at a safe distance and watched her brother in amazement. Pike punched the vampire twice and aimed a kick in its groin. Pike spun around and gave a roundhouse kick across the vampire’s face.
TABITHA: Where the hell did he learn how to do that?
Pike ducked a punch and gave another one of his own. Snarling in frustration, the vampire rushed him and the two of them fell to the ground. Tabitha tried her hardest to keep up with the punches and kicks that were exchanged and who was winning but she couldn’t as things were going way to fast for her.
TABITHA: Pike! I hope you’re winning!
The only response she got was a grunt and someone crying out in pain. Then Pike and the vampire were on their feet, circling each other.
TABITHA: Do you have him cornered? Do I need to come in stakes a-stabbing?
PIKE: Just give me a minute.
The vampire swung a huge fist towards Pike’s face. He caught it easily and in one fluid motion, twisted the vampire’s arm back his back. Pike wrapped his free hand around the vampire’s neck and held on tight.
PIKE: Tabby! Stake him!
Tabitha hurried over to them, hesitating only for a second. The vampire saw her coming towards him with the stake in the air and he growled. He snarled and snapped his sharp teeth at her, causing her to jump back in surprise.
PIKE: Hurry up! I can’t hold him much longer!
The vampire was now struggling violently against Pike’s grip. Tabitha was finding it hard to aim the stake at his heart. Tabitha started to panic.
TABITHA: Could you keep him…it…still? It’s hard to stab the heart with him moving like that. And did I tell you I failed my Biology?
Pike was panting heavily and it didn’t look like he could hold onto the creature any longer.
PIKE: Just pick out the center of his chest and start stabbing until you get it right.
TABTIHA: (muttered) Ok, ok. I can do this.
Tabitha studied the vampire’s chest, picked out the center and got ready to plunge the stake in.
TABTIHA: Here goes.
Tabitha raised her hand and brought it down with as much force she could muster. At that moment, the vampire used Pike’s grip on him to hold him up as he lifted both of his legs and kicked Tabitha.
The force sent Tabitha reeling back into the ground. She landed on her back, knocking the air out of her.
PIKE: Tabby!
The vampire reached up, grabbed the back of Pike’s t-shirt and flipped him over his shoulder. He scowled at the teenager.
VAMP: There’s a reason why there’s no slayer here, dumb ass. It’s our town.
The vampire looked over at Tabitha and grinned. She started to scramble away when she saw the vampire coming towards her.
TABTIHA: Get away from me you freak!
But the vampire was too fast for her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.
VAMP: You are such a pretty dinner.
TABTIHA: (shock) You want to eat me? Ewww! That’s disgusting!
The vampire blinked at her.
VAMP: But you’re food. Vampires drink blood - human blood.
TABITHA: Ok, that’s even more disgusting. I mean, do you actually bite us and drain us dry?
VAMP: Yeah. (pause) You’re new to this, are you?
Tabitha smiled nervously.
TABTIHA: A little.
The vampire grinned and spun her around, holding her tight against his chest. He looked over at her brother who was still on the ground, exhausted. He looked up at them.
VAMP: Come near me and I’ll kill your girlfriend.
TABTIHA: Sister.
VAMP: Sister.
PIKE: It’s me you want to fight. Let her go.
VAMP: Nah. I prefer to take her on instead. After I’m done with her, I’ll come get you.
The vampire laughed before backing away towards the cemetery’s exit. Pike watched helpless from the ground as Tabitha struggled and screamed.
TABTIHA: Oliver!
PIKE: Oh crap.
~PRESENT~
Pike ran towards his parents as fast as he could. As soon as he reached them, he grabbed both theirs hands and started dragging them down the street, away from the monastery and the fight.
PIKE: You guys have to get out of here. Go back to the motel or back to the house, I don’t care. Just get out of here.
SERENE: Oliver, what’s going on? Who is that man you’re fighting with?
PIKE: You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, mom.
Serene pulled her hand away and stopped in her tracks.
SERENE: Well, we are not going anywhere unless you explain to us what’s going on.
Pike looked at them and sighed. He cast a glance over at the fight. Asta looked like she had the demon under control but he didn’t know for how long.
PIKE: That guy my friend is fighting? He’s a demon. Yes, demons do exist and unlike what you thought years ago, I’m not crazy then and I’m not crazy now. If you don’t leave, the demon will see you and come after you. (pause) Is that explanation enough?
Serene and Trevor looked shocked as they stared at their son.
TREVOR: I don’t know what to say.
PIKE: You don’t have to say anything. Just leave.
Before Pike could do anything else, his mother let out an earth shattering scream. Pike spun round but it was too late, the powerful flap of Jeff’s wings caused him to fly backwards, away from this parents. Groaning, Pike looked up and watched helplessly as the demon brushed his father aside and grabbed his mother. The demon looked at Pike and grinned.
JEFF: Your sister’s life for hers.
PIKE; Oh crap.
~ACT 4~
Asta groaned as her eyes fluttered opened. Andrew was beside her, a concerned look etched on his face.
ANDREW: Hey, you alright?
Asta nodded. With the help of Andrew, she slowly got to her feet. She looked around.
ASTA: What happened? Did we kill the demon?
Andrew looked over at where the demon was. Tabitha, Pike and their father stood before him.
ANDREW: No. But he has Tabitha’s mom and from the looks of it, I think he wants a trade.
ASTA: What? Why?
ANDREW: (looked at Asta) He’s a demon. Demons always come up with weird things.
Xander came up to them. He had scratches on his face and he was cradling his right arm. Asta looked at him in concern.
ASTA: Are you alright?
XANDER: I’ve been worse.
Xander nodded towards Jeff, Pike and Tabitha.
XANDER: That can’t be good.
ASTA: No…but…but I think I got a plan.
TABITHA: You want me? Then come and get me.
JEFF: It’s not that easy, little lady.
TABITHA: For goodness knows why, this is between you and me so how about we leave my mom out of it.
JEFF: Sure. Right after I rip her throat out and drain her dry.
SERENE: What? No!
PIKE: It’s alright, mom. This will be all over soon.
Tabitha stepped forward, stretching her arms out.
TABITHA: Alright, here I am. I’m weaponless and defenseless. So let my mom go and take me.
Out of nowhere, Andrew came running between them, yelling on top of his voice.
ANDREW: Timothy Dalton is the best James Bond ever!
Tabitha and Pike exchanged looks.
PIKE: What the hell is he doing?
ANDREW: He should have won an Oscar.
PIKE: He’s going to get himself killed.
TABITHA: Well, it was nice knowing him.
At that moment, Xander popped up between Pike and Tabitha. He grabbed Tabitha’s arm.
XANDER: We gotta go.
TABITHA: Where?
XANDER: Anywhere but here. (to Pike) Help Andrew.
PIKE: To do what?
Xander didn’t answer. He pulled Tabitha away from Jeff and Pike. Pike turned and saw an irritated Jeff coming towards Andrew.
JEFF: Get out of my way!
He used his free hand and grabbed Andrew by his shirt and tossed him away. As soon as the demon saw that Tabitha wasn’t around, his irritation turned into anger. He pushed Pike’s mother away from him and stalked towards Pike.
JEFF: Where is she?
ASTA: (o.s) Hey! Jeff! hind you!
Jeff turned and saw Asta standing a few meters away from him. Without a moment’s hesitation, she raised up her hand and threw Pike’s dagger end over end straight towards Jeff. The dagger struck its target, sticking out of the demon’s forehead. Jeff’s eyes rolled back into his head and collapsed to the ground.
ASTA: I’m getting good at this. (to Tabitha) Tabitha! Torch him.
Tabitha took a moment to recover before she raised both her hands and muttered under her breath. A second later, the demon went up in flames.
Asta hurried towards Mrs. Pike.
ASTA: Mrs. Pike, are you alright?
Serene nodded, rubbing her neck.
SERENE: I’m fine. Who was that man? And how did he -
ASTA: He was a demon.
Tabitha, Xander, Andrew, Pike and Trevor came running up to them.
PIKE: Everyone ok?
ANDREW: Thanks to Asta.
Serene grabbed Pike’s hand.
SERENE: We must call the police and let them know what happened. He tried to kill me!
PIKE: Mom, he was not a man. He was a demon. I thought the wings and those claws kinda gave it away. And bringing in the police won’t be a good idea.
SERENE: Don’t be silly, dear. There’s no such thing as demon.
Tabitha sighed.
TABITHA: Yes, mom, there’s no such thing as demons. What you saw there was a cheap Hollywood stunt. Come on, let’s head home.
~1997~
Tabitha thrashed hard against her captor.
TABITHA: Let me go, you jerk. I’ll scream.
The vampire chuckled.
VAMP: That’s not going help you, little girl.
Tabitha screamed. Loudly. Growling, the vampire slapped a giant, cold hand across her mouth.
VAMP: Shut up!
Tabitha bit his hand, hard, causing the vampire to roar in pain. The grip around her loosened and Tabitha took this moment to struggle out of his hands. Breaking free, Tabitha moved away from and raised her hands up in front of her.
TABITHA: You don’t want to mess with me. I know karate.
The vampire, holding his injured hand, scowled at her.
VAMP: You don’t know squat!
TABITHA: I do! So for you own safety, you better stay away from me.
VAMP: Oh yeah? What are you going to do, little girl?
Tabitha looked at the vampire, her gaze hardening and a determined expression on her face.
TABITHA: This!
Without hesitation, Tabitha broke into a run, running back to where her brother and the vampire were fighting earlier on.
VAMP: Hey!
A second later, Tabitha heard the sound of pounding footsteps behind her. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw the vampire giving chase. The vampire was fast and he was almost on top of her.
TABITHA: Pike! If you want to play hero, now is a good time!
PIKE: Duck!
Tabitha dropped to the ground just as she saw a thick branch whiz above her head. She heard a crunching sound a moment later. Tabitha glanced over her shoulder and saw the vampire falling to the ground, his nose bleeding badly.
Pike came out of hiding and towered over the creature, which was writhing on the ground in pain. In Pike’s hand was a long, thick branch.
PIKE: This is for attacking my sister.
Pike lifted the branch and plunged it deep into the vampire’s chest. The vampire cursed out loud before exploding into a cloud of dust. Tabitha, from the ground, stared at where the spot where the vampire was a minute ago in shock.
TABITHA: What the hell just happened?
PIKE: That was a vampire dying.
TABITHA: But…but…he just exploded!
PIKE: Yup. Vampires tend to do that.
TABITHA: This is so wrong. This must be some kind of a nightmare.
Pike looked at her sister and frowned.
PIKE: You ok?
Tabitha climbed to her feet and dusted herself off.
TABITHA: No, I’m not ok! I mean, it’s not everyday when your brother brings you out to a cemetery, you fight with a vampire, get captured by one and then see it disappear in a cloud of ashes!
PIKE: I know this is a lot to take in but I needed you to see this. So that you would know that you don’t have a nutcase as a brother.
Tabitha stared at Pike.
TABITHA: Do you do this everyday?
PIKE: (shrugged) I try anyway.
TABITHA: Wow. (pause) Are you going to make me do this everyday?
PIKE: (chuckled) Not if you want don’t want to. I just…wanted you to know. You can help me if you want but I’m not forcing you to. You can help me do research and stuff.
TABITHA: Research?
PIKE: There are times when I came across demons that I never seen before. So you can do research on that demon and tell me how to kill it. I got books.
TABITHA: That sounds safer but not any less weird.
Pike shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
PIKE: Well, you don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to. I thought it would be nice to have some help.
TABITHA: No, I didn’t mean that. I’ll help you but only because it’s important to you.
Pike smiled gratefully at his sister.
PIKE: It is.
TABITHA: Well. Now that that is settled, how about we get some supper? Being captured by a vampire certainly makes you hungry.
PIKE: Sounds like a plan.
Tabitha linked arms with her brother and the two of them headed towards the exit of the cemetery.
TABITHA: So tell me, where did you learn how to fight like that? Is it easy to learn? And when did you get so smart? I would have never thought of using that branch.
~MONASTERY~
Astwihad screamed in anger as he smashed an old pot against the wall.
AHRIMAN: You should calm down.
Astwihad shot a dirty look at Ahriman.
ASTWIHAD: Calm down? Did you just see what happened? That demon was supposed to be the best!
AHRIMAN: There’s always another time. We can pay attention to that Watcher of hers in the meantime.
ASTWIHAD: I hope you have some bright ideas on how to get rid of him.
AHRIMAN: I do.
Astwihad smoothed out his suit and hair.
ASTWIHAD: Will there be blood involved?
Ahriman’s red eyes got brighter.
AHRIMAN: Of course.
Astwihad grinned.
~HOUSE~
Serene and Trevor stood at the front door with Tabitha and Pike. The rest waited in the living room, giving them some privacy. The front door was open and a car was running outside.
The four of them shifted awkwardly, not sure what to say to each other.
SERENE: Well.
TABITHA: Yeah.
SERENE: It certainly has been an interesting visit.
Tabitha and Pike didn’t say anything. They both stared at the ground. Tabitha cleared her throat.
TABITHA: You should hit the road before it gets too late.
SERENE: Yes, you are right.
She turned to her husband.
SERENE: I’ll wait for you in the car.
She gave a tight smile towards Tabitha and Pike before stepping out of the house and walked towards their car. Tabitha scowled after her.
TABITHA: I can not believe she didn’t thank me for saving her life.
TREVOR: She’s still…in denial over everything that has happened.
He stepped forwards and hugged Tabitha.
TREVOR: But thank you.
Tabitha wrapped her hands around her father and gave him a quick squeeze.
TABITHA: You’re welcome, dad.
The two of them broke apart.
PIKE: You know, you guys never told us why you came here in the first place.
Trevor smiled sadly.
TREVOR: We were hoping to resolve things between us. It didn’t seem the letters were working so we thought we would come down and do it personally.
Tabitha stared at their parents’ car wistfully.
TABITHA: After everything that has happened, I don’t think things will ever be ok between us anymore.
Trevor sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.
TREVOR: I know…I just wish things were different. I want us to be a family again.
PIKE: Things could have been different. You both just have to accept what you’ve seen.
TREVOR: I don’t think we both can and that’s the problem.
TABITHA: Until you do, things will never be ok between us. This demon fighting thing is our life now.
TREVOR: That’s what I figured. (pause) Well, I better get going. I hope to see you both soon.
PIKE: Can’t promise anything.
TREVOR: Yeah.
His gaze lingered a little longer on his children.
TREVOR: Take care of yourselves. And if you need anything, give me a call. I won’t tell your mother.
Pike and Tabitha chuckled.
PIKE: Thanks.
The three of them didn’t move for a moment.
TREVOR: Yes…well. Goodbye.
With that, he turned and left the house, making his way towards the car. Tabitha went to the front door and stood at the threshold, watching her father get into the car.
PIKE: I’m going to take a shower. I’ll see you in the morning.
TABITHA: Hmmm.
Her parents’ car came to life and started to pull away from the curb. A few minutes later, the taillights blinked away in the distance.
ASTA: (o.s) You know, it’s interesting how one moment you hated them so much you would have let a demon eat them up and the next, you were so adamant in saving your mom.
Tabitha glanced over her shoulder and saw Asta standing behind her. The young slayer came up to Tabitha and stood beside her, gazing out into the dark.
TABITHA: I guess it’s my way of showing affection.
ASTA: Do you forgive them? For what they have done?
TABITHA: But that’s the thing, they didn’t do anything. They just made a very bad decision.
ASTA: Then why are you both so angry with them?
TABITHA: I’m not angry just…unforgiving. They wanted to send Oliver to a mental institution. He was only 16. Both our lives changed drastically. I had to quit college for him. (pause) He came out here just to get away from them. No son should be running away from his parents. No son should be scared of his parents.
ASTA: Then shouldn’t Pike be the unforgiving one?
Tabitha smiled fondly. She looked at Asta.
TABITHA: He can’t. It’s not in his nature.
ASTA: So what happened exactly?
Tabitha leaned against the door frame, facing Asta.
TABITHA: When Pike came here, my parents kept calling and threatening me. They told me to bring Pike home or they would cut us out of their lives. I knew what they would do if I brought him back so I didn’t. The calls stopped coming until a few years ago when they started sending us letters. I thought they were back to their old tricks again so I didn’t bother replying to them. We already have a good life going for us here. I had a well-paying job, we were battling demons without getting killed; I was getting good with the witch stuff…
ASTA: But then they showed up here.
TABITHA: Yup. Pike told me that no matter what he wouldn’t go back to them. He can’t trust them anymore and neither can I. After all those years living by ourselves, we realized that we don’t need them. As long as I have Oliver, I’m happy.
Tabitha smiled at Asta.
TABITHA: All we need is each other.
She pushed herself away from the door frame and made her way upstairs. Asta watched as the other girl climbed up the steps and disappeared. Asta closed the front door a minute later.
~PIKE’S ROOM~
When Tabitha entered Pike’s room, he was pattering around with only a towel around his waist. He looked like he was getting ready to grab a shower.
TABITHA: Hey.
Pike looked up in surprise. He frowned.
PIKE: Hey. Everything alright?
Tabitha smiled, her eyes tearing a little.
TABITHA: It is now.
Pike cocked his head.
PIKE: Are you ok?
TABITHA: Yeah. I just wanted to tell you…
PIKE: What?
TABITHA: That I love you. You know that right?
Pike cracked a smile, he blushed slightly.
PIKE: Yeah…yeah, I do.
TABITHA: We don’t need them. All we have is each other and that’s all we need.
Pike came up to her.
PIKE: Yeah.
TABITHA: You’re all that I need, Oliver.
PIKE: Ditto.
Pike pulled her into a hug and held her tight.
PIKE: I love you too.
The two of them held each other, not letting go until they were ready to.
CUT TO BLACK
END CREDITS
Written by
Irene Issac
Story Editor
Beck Schwarz
Special Thanks To
Everyone and anyone who helped in making this episode a success
A BECK TO SHREDS production. © 2006 Irene Issac
~OUTSIDE THE MONASTERY~
The heavy wooded door of the monastery burst open, taking the five of them outside by surprise. A demon stood at the doorway. His claws gleamed under the moonlight while his long, black tongue snaked out.
PIKE: What the -
XANDER: Holy Mary!
Andrew looked at Pike, confused.
ANDREW: I thought you said nobody was in there?
PIKE: (grimly) Guess I was wrong.
The demon stretched out his arms and clicked his claws together. He smiled wickedly at the five of them.
DEMON: I’m Jeff. Wanna know what I do for fun?
TABITHA: That does not sound good.
Jeff turned his attention to the slayer.
JEFF: You must be Asta. I heard a lot about you.
ASTA: Ok…so he knows my name now.
TABITHA: That can’t be good either.
XANDER: Instead of standing here and talking, how about we kick his ass?
PIKE: Sounds like a good plan.
Pike pulled out a small dagger from the inside of his coat. Gripping it in his right hand, he rushed the demon. As soon as Pike was about to reach him, Jeff bent slightly at his knees and jumped up high into the air. Two large wings unfolded from his back. Jeff hovered about the ground, eyeing his opponents. He set his sights on Tabitha and swooped in for her.
~HADES VALLEY, 1997~
~night~
~cemetery~
Pike got down on one knee and stretched out his hands, lacing his fingers together. He looked up at his sister.
PIKE: Here, I’ll give you a boost.
Tabitha looked down at her brother incredulously.
TABITHA: What?
PIKE: The gate’s locked. I think the authorities heard about the empty graves. So the only way to get in is over the gate.
TABITHA: What?
PIKE: (sighed) Just put your on feet on my hand and I’ll boost you up. Once you’re up there, reach down and help me up. Understand?
Tabitha placed her hands on her hips and glared at Pike.
TABITHA: I’m not breaking and entering.
PIKE: Technically, we are not breaking.
TABITHA: But we are entering - without permission.
PIKE: Look, I know how this looks but I have a good reason for doing this.
TABITHA: Really? Please do enlighten me. I got all night.
Pike sighed and stood up.
PIKE: There have been reports of empty graves in this cemetery. Authorities say that it’s grave-robbing. It’s not.
TABITHA: So what is it then, Sherlock?
PIKE: Vampires.
Tabitha stared at him. Then she burst out loud laughing.
TABITHA: Are you serious? Vampires?
PIKE: Yes, I’m serious. And I brought you here to see them for yourself, so you wouldn’t think I’m crazy.
TABITHA: A bit too late for that.
PIKE: Just trust me on this one ok?
TABITHA: If we get caught, I’m telling on you and I’m not visiting you in jail.
PIKE: (grinned) Deal.
He knelt down again and offered his hands.
~HADES VALLEY, PRESENT~
~outside the monastery~
Xander slammed into Tabitha and tackled her to the ground just at the flying demon swooped over their heads. Tabitha stared back up at Xander, the wind knocked out of her.
XANDER: You alright?
TABITHA: Did it just try to attack me?
XANDER: It did.
A scowl formed on her face.
TABITHA: I don’t like it when demons make me their target.
Xander stood up and pulled Tabitha to her feet. They looked up and saw Jeff getting ready to come at them again.
XANDER: Asta?
ASTA: Behind you.
Xander looked over his shoulder and saw Asta jogging up to him.
XANDER: The demon is after Tabitha.
Asta kept her eyes on Jeff above her head. The others around her were doing the same. The demon was circling them and at that moment there was nothing they could do but to watch and wait for its next move.
ASTA: Do we know why?
XANDER: No. But we need a plan to take him down. Standing here and gawking at him won’t give us any miracles.
Asta’s brow furrowed as she tried to think up a plan. But Xander spoke up before she could think of anything.
XANDER: Duck!
Xander grabbed Asta’s arm and pulled her to the ground as Jeff flew over them. At the corner of her eye, Asta saw Tabitha rolling out of the way while Andrew and Pike scrambled for cover behind a tree.
Jeff laughed as he circled the air.
XANDER: This dude is playing with us.
He glanced over at Asta.
XANDER: A plan right now would be nice before he decides playing with his food isn’t fun anymore.
ASTA: Right. Of course. Erm…Tabitha and I can keep him distracted…
XANDER: What about the rest of us?
ASTA: Take him down when he has his back turned.
~1997~
Tabitha watched as her brother dropped to the ground almost soundlessly. He pulled out a thick, wooden stick.
PIKE: Stay close to me and look out for anything suspicious.
TABITHA: Suspicious? Like a brother and sister walking around with a wooden stick?
PIKE: No, like him.
Pike nodded somewhere towards her left. She turned and spotted a man dusting dirt off his clothes.
PIKE: Come on.
Grabbing her hand, Pike pulled her sister towards the man. He was bent low and was being very quiet. Tabitha followed suit.
TABITHA: (softly) Have you ever wondered that maybe he could be a security guard doing - god forbid - his rounds?
Pike crouched down behind a tall tombstone, pulling Tabitha down with him.
PIKE: Look at what’s his wearing.
Tabitha squinted at the darkness, trying her best to make out what the man was wearing.
TABITHA: A tux?
PIKE: Exactly. Name me one security personnel that wear a tux.
TABITHA: Jay and Kay in Men in Black?
Pike threw his sister a smirk over his shoulder.
PIKE: In this case, we are the men in black and he is…
TABITHA: The scum of the universe.
PIKE: Damn right.
He handed her his stake and Tabitha took it, a skeptical look on her face.
TABITHA: You want me to use this wooden stick? Is it magical?
PIKE: I’ll fight this guy and when you see him that I got him cornered, you come in and stab him with that stake. Make sure you stab his heart.
Tabitha looked at her brother in surprise.
TABITHA: His heart?
PIKE: You ready?
TABITHA: But -
PIKE: Let’s go.
Without waiting for her, Pike got up and ran towards the man.
TABITHA: But I failed Biology!
~PRESENT DAY~
Asta hurried away from Xander and went to Tabitha. She grabbed Tabitha’s upper arm and dragged her away from the monastery.
TABITHA: This guy is too fast and if he stays up in the air like that, we are not going to get him.
ASTA: No problem. We just make sure that he is only after us.
TABITHA: (grimly) That won’t be a problem.
VOICE: (o.s) Tabitha?
Tabitha whirled around in surprise when she heard the voice and cursed under her breath when she saw her parents standing across the street. Her dad was gawking at the demon.
TABITHA: Now, that is going to be a problem.
ASTA: What are they doing here?!
TABITHA: I’m not going to take the time to find out.
Tabitha looked around for her brother. She spotted him coming from behind a tree, trying to sneak up to Jeff.
TABITHA: Oliver! Get mom and dad!
Pike looked at her and then at the direction she was pointing to. He swore loudly.
PIKE: What the hell are they doing here?
TABITHA: (snapped) Do you see a sign on my forehead saying I know the answer? Just get them!
PIKE: Here, take this.
Pike tossed the dagger he was holding to Asta and then ran across the street to get his parents. At that point of time, Jeff roared and came diving towards Tabitha and Asta. Asta shoved Tabitha out of the way and as soon as Jeff was almost on top of them, she jumped as high as her slayer powers enabled her.
Asta grabbed onto Jeff’s waist and clung on. Not expecting the sudden increase in weight, Jeff lost flight and the two crashed to the ground. Somewhere along the way, the dagger slipped out of Asta’s hand and went missing. Not wasting any time, Asta got to her feet and faced the demon. Jeff was still on the ground, having the wind knocked out of him. He got onto his hands and knees slowly.
Asta aimed a sharp kick at his abdomen, causing Jeff to roll a few feet away from her. As he tried to pick himself up, Asta did a quick scan of the ground around her in search of Pike’s lost dagger. A dull gleam of a blade near a tree a few meters away caught her eye. She was about to make dash for it when the sound of running feet stopped her. She looked up and saw Jeff rushing towards her. Jeff slammed into Asta and brought her down to the ground. Straddling her, Jeff struck her across her face. He grabbed the front of her sweatshirt that she was wearing and lifted her off the ground.
With a roar, he threw her against a tree. Asta’s back hit the trunk of the tree hard and she fell to the ground unconscious. Jeff turned and looked around for Tabitha. All he saw was her brother talking animatedly to an older couple. Smiling, Jeff spread his wings and made a beeline towards them.
~1997~
TABITHA: Any moment now, the zombies from Thriller are going to make an appearance, I’m sure.
Tabitha stood at a safe distance and watched her brother in amazement. Pike punched the vampire twice and aimed a kick in its groin. Pike spun around and gave a roundhouse kick across the vampire’s face.
TABITHA: Where the hell did he learn how to do that?
Pike ducked a punch and gave another one of his own. Snarling in frustration, the vampire rushed him and the two of them fell to the ground. Tabitha tried her hardest to keep up with the punches and kicks that were exchanged and who was winning but she couldn’t as things were going way to fast for her.
TABITHA: Pike! I hope you’re winning!
The only response she got was a grunt and someone crying out in pain. Then Pike and the vampire were on their feet, circling each other.
TABITHA: Do you have him cornered? Do I need to come in stakes a-stabbing?
PIKE: Just give me a minute.
The vampire swung a huge fist towards Pike’s face. He caught it easily and in one fluid motion, twisted the vampire’s arm back his back. Pike wrapped his free hand around the vampire’s neck and held on tight.
PIKE: Tabby! Stake him!
Tabitha hurried over to them, hesitating only for a second. The vampire saw her coming towards him with the stake in the air and he growled. He snarled and snapped his sharp teeth at her, causing her to jump back in surprise.
PIKE: Hurry up! I can’t hold him much longer!
The vampire was now struggling violently against Pike’s grip. Tabitha was finding it hard to aim the stake at his heart. Tabitha started to panic.
TABITHA: Could you keep him…it…still? It’s hard to stab the heart with him moving like that. And did I tell you I failed my Biology?
Pike was panting heavily and it didn’t look like he could hold onto the creature any longer.
PIKE: Just pick out the center of his chest and start stabbing until you get it right.
TABTIHA: (muttered) Ok, ok. I can do this.
Tabitha studied the vampire’s chest, picked out the center and got ready to plunge the stake in.
TABTIHA: Here goes.
Tabitha raised her hand and brought it down with as much force she could muster. At that moment, the vampire used Pike’s grip on him to hold him up as he lifted both of his legs and kicked Tabitha.
The force sent Tabitha reeling back into the ground. She landed on her back, knocking the air out of her.
PIKE: Tabby!
The vampire reached up, grabbed the back of Pike’s t-shirt and flipped him over his shoulder. He scowled at the teenager.
VAMP: There’s a reason why there’s no slayer here, dumb ass. It’s our town.
The vampire looked over at Tabitha and grinned. She started to scramble away when she saw the vampire coming towards her.
TABTIHA: Get away from me you freak!
But the vampire was too fast for her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.
VAMP: You are such a pretty dinner.
TABTIHA: (shock) You want to eat me? Ewww! That’s disgusting!
The vampire blinked at her.
VAMP: But you’re food. Vampires drink blood - human blood.
TABITHA: Ok, that’s even more disgusting. I mean, do you actually bite us and drain us dry?
VAMP: Yeah. (pause) You’re new to this, are you?
Tabitha smiled nervously.
TABTIHA: A little.
The vampire grinned and spun her around, holding her tight against his chest. He looked over at her brother who was still on the ground, exhausted. He looked up at them.
VAMP: Come near me and I’ll kill your girlfriend.
TABTIHA: Sister.
VAMP: Sister.
PIKE: It’s me you want to fight. Let her go.
VAMP: Nah. I prefer to take her on instead. After I’m done with her, I’ll come get you.
The vampire laughed before backing away towards the cemetery’s exit. Pike watched helpless from the ground as Tabitha struggled and screamed.
TABTIHA: Oliver!
PIKE: Oh crap.
~PRESENT~
Pike ran towards his parents as fast as he could. As soon as he reached them, he grabbed both theirs hands and started dragging them down the street, away from the monastery and the fight.
PIKE: You guys have to get out of here. Go back to the motel or back to the house, I don’t care. Just get out of here.
SERENE: Oliver, what’s going on? Who is that man you’re fighting with?
PIKE: You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, mom.
Serene pulled her hand away and stopped in her tracks.
SERENE: Well, we are not going anywhere unless you explain to us what’s going on.
Pike looked at them and sighed. He cast a glance over at the fight. Asta looked like she had the demon under control but he didn’t know for how long.
PIKE: That guy my friend is fighting? He’s a demon. Yes, demons do exist and unlike what you thought years ago, I’m not crazy then and I’m not crazy now. If you don’t leave, the demon will see you and come after you. (pause) Is that explanation enough?
Serene and Trevor looked shocked as they stared at their son.
TREVOR: I don’t know what to say.
PIKE: You don’t have to say anything. Just leave.
Before Pike could do anything else, his mother let out an earth shattering scream. Pike spun round but it was too late, the powerful flap of Jeff’s wings caused him to fly backwards, away from this parents. Groaning, Pike looked up and watched helplessly as the demon brushed his father aside and grabbed his mother. The demon looked at Pike and grinned.
JEFF: Your sister’s life for hers.
PIKE; Oh crap.
~ACT 4~
Asta groaned as her eyes fluttered opened. Andrew was beside her, a concerned look etched on his face.
ANDREW: Hey, you alright?
Asta nodded. With the help of Andrew, she slowly got to her feet. She looked around.
ASTA: What happened? Did we kill the demon?
Andrew looked over at where the demon was. Tabitha, Pike and their father stood before him.
ANDREW: No. But he has Tabitha’s mom and from the looks of it, I think he wants a trade.
ASTA: What? Why?
ANDREW: (looked at Asta) He’s a demon. Demons always come up with weird things.
Xander came up to them. He had scratches on his face and he was cradling his right arm. Asta looked at him in concern.
ASTA: Are you alright?
XANDER: I’ve been worse.
Xander nodded towards Jeff, Pike and Tabitha.
XANDER: That can’t be good.
ASTA: No…but…but I think I got a plan.
TABITHA: You want me? Then come and get me.
JEFF: It’s not that easy, little lady.
TABITHA: For goodness knows why, this is between you and me so how about we leave my mom out of it.
JEFF: Sure. Right after I rip her throat out and drain her dry.
SERENE: What? No!
PIKE: It’s alright, mom. This will be all over soon.
Tabitha stepped forward, stretching her arms out.
TABITHA: Alright, here I am. I’m weaponless and defenseless. So let my mom go and take me.
Out of nowhere, Andrew came running between them, yelling on top of his voice.
ANDREW: Timothy Dalton is the best James Bond ever!
Tabitha and Pike exchanged looks.
PIKE: What the hell is he doing?
ANDREW: He should have won an Oscar.
PIKE: He’s going to get himself killed.
TABITHA: Well, it was nice knowing him.
At that moment, Xander popped up between Pike and Tabitha. He grabbed Tabitha’s arm.
XANDER: We gotta go.
TABITHA: Where?
XANDER: Anywhere but here. (to Pike) Help Andrew.
PIKE: To do what?
Xander didn’t answer. He pulled Tabitha away from Jeff and Pike. Pike turned and saw an irritated Jeff coming towards Andrew.
JEFF: Get out of my way!
He used his free hand and grabbed Andrew by his shirt and tossed him away. As soon as the demon saw that Tabitha wasn’t around, his irritation turned into anger. He pushed Pike’s mother away from him and stalked towards Pike.
JEFF: Where is she?
ASTA: (o.s) Hey! Jeff! hind you!
Jeff turned and saw Asta standing a few meters away from him. Without a moment’s hesitation, she raised up her hand and threw Pike’s dagger end over end straight towards Jeff. The dagger struck its target, sticking out of the demon’s forehead. Jeff’s eyes rolled back into his head and collapsed to the ground.
ASTA: I’m getting good at this. (to Tabitha) Tabitha! Torch him.
Tabitha took a moment to recover before she raised both her hands and muttered under her breath. A second later, the demon went up in flames.
Asta hurried towards Mrs. Pike.
ASTA: Mrs. Pike, are you alright?
Serene nodded, rubbing her neck.
SERENE: I’m fine. Who was that man? And how did he -
ASTA: He was a demon.
Tabitha, Xander, Andrew, Pike and Trevor came running up to them.
PIKE: Everyone ok?
ANDREW: Thanks to Asta.
Serene grabbed Pike’s hand.
SERENE: We must call the police and let them know what happened. He tried to kill me!
PIKE: Mom, he was not a man. He was a demon. I thought the wings and those claws kinda gave it away. And bringing in the police won’t be a good idea.
SERENE: Don’t be silly, dear. There’s no such thing as demon.
Tabitha sighed.
TABITHA: Yes, mom, there’s no such thing as demons. What you saw there was a cheap Hollywood stunt. Come on, let’s head home.
~1997~
Tabitha thrashed hard against her captor.
TABITHA: Let me go, you jerk. I’ll scream.
The vampire chuckled.
VAMP: That’s not going help you, little girl.
Tabitha screamed. Loudly. Growling, the vampire slapped a giant, cold hand across her mouth.
VAMP: Shut up!
Tabitha bit his hand, hard, causing the vampire to roar in pain. The grip around her loosened and Tabitha took this moment to struggle out of his hands. Breaking free, Tabitha moved away from and raised her hands up in front of her.
TABITHA: You don’t want to mess with me. I know karate.
The vampire, holding his injured hand, scowled at her.
VAMP: You don’t know squat!
TABITHA: I do! So for you own safety, you better stay away from me.
VAMP: Oh yeah? What are you going to do, little girl?
Tabitha looked at the vampire, her gaze hardening and a determined expression on her face.
TABITHA: This!
Without hesitation, Tabitha broke into a run, running back to where her brother and the vampire were fighting earlier on.
VAMP: Hey!
A second later, Tabitha heard the sound of pounding footsteps behind her. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw the vampire giving chase. The vampire was fast and he was almost on top of her.
TABITHA: Pike! If you want to play hero, now is a good time!
PIKE: Duck!
Tabitha dropped to the ground just as she saw a thick branch whiz above her head. She heard a crunching sound a moment later. Tabitha glanced over her shoulder and saw the vampire falling to the ground, his nose bleeding badly.
Pike came out of hiding and towered over the creature, which was writhing on the ground in pain. In Pike’s hand was a long, thick branch.
PIKE: This is for attacking my sister.
Pike lifted the branch and plunged it deep into the vampire’s chest. The vampire cursed out loud before exploding into a cloud of dust. Tabitha, from the ground, stared at where the spot where the vampire was a minute ago in shock.
TABITHA: What the hell just happened?
PIKE: That was a vampire dying.
TABITHA: But…but…he just exploded!
PIKE: Yup. Vampires tend to do that.
TABITHA: This is so wrong. This must be some kind of a nightmare.
Pike looked at her sister and frowned.
PIKE: You ok?
Tabitha climbed to her feet and dusted herself off.
TABITHA: No, I’m not ok! I mean, it’s not everyday when your brother brings you out to a cemetery, you fight with a vampire, get captured by one and then see it disappear in a cloud of ashes!
PIKE: I know this is a lot to take in but I needed you to see this. So that you would know that you don’t have a nutcase as a brother.
Tabitha stared at Pike.
TABITHA: Do you do this everyday?
PIKE: (shrugged) I try anyway.
TABITHA: Wow. (pause) Are you going to make me do this everyday?
PIKE: (chuckled) Not if you want don’t want to. I just…wanted you to know. You can help me if you want but I’m not forcing you to. You can help me do research and stuff.
TABITHA: Research?
PIKE: There are times when I came across demons that I never seen before. So you can do research on that demon and tell me how to kill it. I got books.
TABITHA: That sounds safer but not any less weird.
Pike shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
PIKE: Well, you don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to. I thought it would be nice to have some help.
TABITHA: No, I didn’t mean that. I’ll help you but only because it’s important to you.
Pike smiled gratefully at his sister.
PIKE: It is.
TABITHA: Well. Now that that is settled, how about we get some supper? Being captured by a vampire certainly makes you hungry.
PIKE: Sounds like a plan.
Tabitha linked arms with her brother and the two of them headed towards the exit of the cemetery.
TABITHA: So tell me, where did you learn how to fight like that? Is it easy to learn? And when did you get so smart? I would have never thought of using that branch.
~MONASTERY~
Astwihad screamed in anger as he smashed an old pot against the wall.
AHRIMAN: You should calm down.
Astwihad shot a dirty look at Ahriman.
ASTWIHAD: Calm down? Did you just see what happened? That demon was supposed to be the best!
AHRIMAN: There’s always another time. We can pay attention to that Watcher of hers in the meantime.
ASTWIHAD: I hope you have some bright ideas on how to get rid of him.
AHRIMAN: I do.
Astwihad smoothed out his suit and hair.
ASTWIHAD: Will there be blood involved?
Ahriman’s red eyes got brighter.
AHRIMAN: Of course.
Astwihad grinned.
~HOUSE~
Serene and Trevor stood at the front door with Tabitha and Pike. The rest waited in the living room, giving them some privacy. The front door was open and a car was running outside.
The four of them shifted awkwardly, not sure what to say to each other.
SERENE: Well.
TABITHA: Yeah.
SERENE: It certainly has been an interesting visit.
Tabitha and Pike didn’t say anything. They both stared at the ground. Tabitha cleared her throat.
TABITHA: You should hit the road before it gets too late.
SERENE: Yes, you are right.
She turned to her husband.
SERENE: I’ll wait for you in the car.
She gave a tight smile towards Tabitha and Pike before stepping out of the house and walked towards their car. Tabitha scowled after her.
TABITHA: I can not believe she didn’t thank me for saving her life.
TREVOR: She’s still…in denial over everything that has happened.
He stepped forwards and hugged Tabitha.
TREVOR: But thank you.
Tabitha wrapped her hands around her father and gave him a quick squeeze.
TABITHA: You’re welcome, dad.
The two of them broke apart.
PIKE: You know, you guys never told us why you came here in the first place.
Trevor smiled sadly.
TREVOR: We were hoping to resolve things between us. It didn’t seem the letters were working so we thought we would come down and do it personally.
Tabitha stared at their parents’ car wistfully.
TABITHA: After everything that has happened, I don’t think things will ever be ok between us anymore.
Trevor sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.
TREVOR: I know…I just wish things were different. I want us to be a family again.
PIKE: Things could have been different. You both just have to accept what you’ve seen.
TREVOR: I don’t think we both can and that’s the problem.
TABITHA: Until you do, things will never be ok between us. This demon fighting thing is our life now.
TREVOR: That’s what I figured. (pause) Well, I better get going. I hope to see you both soon.
PIKE: Can’t promise anything.
TREVOR: Yeah.
His gaze lingered a little longer on his children.
TREVOR: Take care of yourselves. And if you need anything, give me a call. I won’t tell your mother.
Pike and Tabitha chuckled.
PIKE: Thanks.
The three of them didn’t move for a moment.
TREVOR: Yes…well. Goodbye.
With that, he turned and left the house, making his way towards the car. Tabitha went to the front door and stood at the threshold, watching her father get into the car.
PIKE: I’m going to take a shower. I’ll see you in the morning.
TABITHA: Hmmm.
Her parents’ car came to life and started to pull away from the curb. A few minutes later, the taillights blinked away in the distance.
ASTA: (o.s) You know, it’s interesting how one moment you hated them so much you would have let a demon eat them up and the next, you were so adamant in saving your mom.
Tabitha glanced over her shoulder and saw Asta standing behind her. The young slayer came up to Tabitha and stood beside her, gazing out into the dark.
TABITHA: I guess it’s my way of showing affection.
ASTA: Do you forgive them? For what they have done?
TABITHA: But that’s the thing, they didn’t do anything. They just made a very bad decision.
ASTA: Then why are you both so angry with them?
TABITHA: I’m not angry just…unforgiving. They wanted to send Oliver to a mental institution. He was only 16. Both our lives changed drastically. I had to quit college for him. (pause) He came out here just to get away from them. No son should be running away from his parents. No son should be scared of his parents.
ASTA: Then shouldn’t Pike be the unforgiving one?
Tabitha smiled fondly. She looked at Asta.
TABITHA: He can’t. It’s not in his nature.
ASTA: So what happened exactly?
Tabitha leaned against the door frame, facing Asta.
TABITHA: When Pike came here, my parents kept calling and threatening me. They told me to bring Pike home or they would cut us out of their lives. I knew what they would do if I brought him back so I didn’t. The calls stopped coming until a few years ago when they started sending us letters. I thought they were back to their old tricks again so I didn’t bother replying to them. We already have a good life going for us here. I had a well-paying job, we were battling demons without getting killed; I was getting good with the witch stuff…
ASTA: But then they showed up here.
TABITHA: Yup. Pike told me that no matter what he wouldn’t go back to them. He can’t trust them anymore and neither can I. After all those years living by ourselves, we realized that we don’t need them. As long as I have Oliver, I’m happy.
Tabitha smiled at Asta.
TABITHA: All we need is each other.
She pushed herself away from the door frame and made her way upstairs. Asta watched as the other girl climbed up the steps and disappeared. Asta closed the front door a minute later.
~PIKE’S ROOM~
When Tabitha entered Pike’s room, he was pattering around with only a towel around his waist. He looked like he was getting ready to grab a shower.
TABITHA: Hey.
Pike looked up in surprise. He frowned.
PIKE: Hey. Everything alright?
Tabitha smiled, her eyes tearing a little.
TABITHA: It is now.
Pike cocked his head.
PIKE: Are you ok?
TABITHA: Yeah. I just wanted to tell you…
PIKE: What?
TABITHA: That I love you. You know that right?
Pike cracked a smile, he blushed slightly.
PIKE: Yeah…yeah, I do.
TABITHA: We don’t need them. All we have is each other and that’s all we need.
Pike came up to her.
PIKE: Yeah.
TABITHA: You’re all that I need, Oliver.
PIKE: Ditto.
Pike pulled her into a hug and held her tight.
PIKE: I love you too.
The two of them held each other, not letting go until they were ready to.
CUT TO BLACK
END CREDITS
Written by
Irene Issac
Story Editor
Beck Schwarz
Special Thanks To
Everyone and anyone who helped in making this episode a success
A BECK TO SHREDS production. © 2006 Irene Issac