A Fighter's Love by Cheri
Chapter One
Fade in:
Ocean from beach view-slowly pan down and into water.Moving lower and lower until the box is visible. It has come to rest on its side with the opening facingaway from camera’s view
Angel: (V.O.)
Time faded within the first day. No sun to warn me,no moon to guide me. Left only with the blackness and the silence. Engulfed in a shroud of pain andbetrayal unlike anything I could have imagined formyself. Bound, unable to move, sealed into the steel tomb that served only to ensure eternal agony. Agony brought on by the only one with enough power to affect this torture. My son.
Fade in: Hyperion Lobby
Gunn:
Fred, honey it’s no use.
Fred:
(redialing phone again)
We have to keep trying Gunn. It’s been days! Days with no word from Angel, or Cordy or Connor!
Gunn:
I know. I’ve been here too. (takes the phone from her hands) And you’re right. It’s been days. Days with no word. No calls. We’ve tried their cells over and over. Fred, the charge is long gone on those things. They’re useless now.
Fred:
No! They could be somewhere with those charger thingies! They could be waiting for us to find them! Or maybe Angel and Cordy finally realized how they felt and Connor found them and they just want some family time.
Gunn:
We talked about this Fred.
Fred:
I know. (defeatedly) Gunn, this isn’t right. None of this is right. Lorne, Cordelia, Angel, Connor, not to mention Wesley. What’s happening to us?
Gunn:
Ssshh. (Takes her in his arms) We’re going to be okay beautiful. I swear it. We’re all going to be okay.
Fred:
Please be right Gunn. (then in VO) Please God, let him be right.
Cut to Sunnydale
Xander:
I thought we decided to give her time.
Giles:
Well yes, that was the plan. But this decision has been made by powers greater than us.
Buffy:
When do I get to be the great power? Haven’t I earned great power status by now?
Xander:
Yeah! That’s right! Who deserves the greater power deal than our little Buffy here?
Giles:
I know I’ve been away for a while but please tell me that this is a new youth driven attempt at humor. And that you two are not seriously suggesting that somehow the entities of higher knowledge and purpose are merely earned titles of random do-gooders and twice-dead slayers?
Buffy:
Hey!
Xander:
Geez Giles. I see your short time in the homeland has served to reiterate the harsh stereotypes of your people.
Giles:
Oh, for blimey sakes! I’ve forgotten what had to be muddled through on a daily basis around here!
Buffy:
Okay okay! (walks to face Giles) I get it. We made a bad joke and you didn’t get it. I can overlook your dismissal of my death-both of them. If you can overlook Xander’s assessment of your character. (mumbles to Xander) However true it might seem.
Giles:
I heard that.
Xander:
Of course you did.
Buffy:
Enough! Both of you!
Dawn:
(walking in the room) What is going on in here? I thought we were supposed to be letting Willow rest.
Xander:
We were. Then Giles here informed us that we don’t get to make that call.
Dawn:
Huh?
Buffy:
Dawn, sweetie, I need you to give us a minute.
Dawn:
What? What happened to showing me things, teaching me things? Is that all forgotten in just,(looks at imaginary watch) four days?
Buffy:
(sighs) No Dawn. I just…
Giles:
Teaching? You’ll be teaching?
Buffy:
(looking away from Dawn to Giles) Just sister stuff. We’re all we have Giles. I was so wrapped up in my own…
Xander:
Dawn gets taught stuff? Not slayer stuff though right? I mean, you’d teach me that before…you know cause of the time in grade, time in service deal.
Buffy:
(turning from Giles to Xander) I never said that I would…
Dawn:
Yes you did! We were fighting those off the wall guys and you said…
Buffy:
Everyone stop it! I’ve had four days since my best friend tried to kill me and everyone I loved including the world we live in and I can’t deal with this from all of you! Dawn, Giles just informed us that he has to take Willow to some tribunal deal to learn the punishment for her abuse of the dark magicks. It’s too…(she stops talking and glances quickly around the room)
Giles:
Buffy? What is it?
Buffy:
(frowning) I just had this feeling. (looks around again) Do you guys feel something weird?
Xander:
Um, not so much. Is it Slayer sense?
Dawn:
Is this the same thing you felt yesterday…and the day before?
Buffy:
(shaking her head) No. I mean, I’m not sure. (puts hand on stomach) It feels familiar, like I’m missing something that I’ve lost before. (Shakes head to clear her thoughts) It’ll pass. What was I saying? Something about Willow.
Xander:
Yeah, that’s what got us into the off topic. Giles doesn’t seem to understand that she’s already suffering. I’ve never seen Willow like this.
Giles:
Xander, I understand the girl is suffering. Possibly more than any human should, but the suffering does not take the place of punishment. There are consequences that must be dealt with. Remorse is not enough to balance the scales against the evil not to mention pain that Willow exacted on not only us, but innocents and ne’er do wells alike.
Dawn:
Ne’er do what?
Willow:
(standing on stairs) I think he means the trio Dawn. Namely Warren right Giles?
Xander:
Will! You’re supposed to be resting.
Buffy:
Willow…
Willow:
It’s not necessary. Giles is right. I have to be punished. If I don’t do this, I’ll never be right again.
Buffy:
It’s too soon.
Willow:
(smirks) Honor above all else right Slayer?
Buffy:
(uncomfortably) Willow?
Giles:
No Buffy. She must go now. It’s still in her. The war rages. This has to come to pass. If you want her back, you must let her go. I’ll guide her as long as I can.
Xander:
You mean you won’t stay with her!
Giles:
I don’t know all the answers Xander! I’ve never had to take part in this ritual before. I’m fortunate they’re even letting me do this.
Buffy:
Willow?
Willow:
(closes eyes as if in pain then slowly opens them) I…
Xander:
It’s okay. Giles will help you.
Giles:
You’re speaking out of turn. I can’t help Willow in any way. She must lead.
The group turns to look at Willow facing them apprehensively.
Cut to LA
Wesley’s place
Wesley:
(picks up ringing phone) Hello.
Fred:
(whispering) Wesley, Wesley can you hear me?
Wesley:
Fred?
Fred:
It’s me Wesley. Thank God you’re not gone too.
Wesley:
Gone?
Fred:
You have to come Wes. You have to help us. They’ve all left us. We have to find them. Please.
Wesley:
(Hears the hang up on the other end) Fred? Winifred!
He doesn’t bother hanging up the phone before grabbing his coat and running out the door.
Fade into Ocean scene again. Pan slowly down to box lying on ocean floor.
Angel (V.O.):
I knew from the moment I saw him that I would die for him. Or kill anyone that threatened him. But I never
saw this coming. (camera pans slowly around to front of box. Angel is visible through the hole. Staring blankly from the shadows. Eyes open, unmoving-Looking dead) I heard him call himself by the name I chose for him and my defenses melted away. I saw him protect me in battle and believed it was a loving son’s instinct. Yet when he came for me, I knew it instantly. My son thought a quick death was too good for me. He wanted something more. He wanted to guarantee his father’s ever-lasting life…alone. (In a startling instant, Angel blinks his eyes once)
Fade out
