A Fighter's Love by Cheri

Chapter 29

 

Fade in on Wolfram and Hart Lobby

Wes and Lilah come through the front door to find 2 guards unconscious on the floor. Justine sits atop the security counter.

Wesley:

Why am I not surprised?

Lilah:

What are you doing here Justine?

Justine;

(hops down and steps over guard)

I gotta admit I’m disappointed. 2 Guards? That’s all I rate around here?

Lilah:

Don’t worry. You’re more than covered.

Justine looks around with a smirk.

Wesley:

You really arent’ too bright are you?

Justine:

Excuse me if I don’t take the snide comments of a traitor to heart.

Lilah:

He’s right you know. I gave you a golden opportunity. What happened to the money I gave you for the new start?

Justine:

(pulls wad of bills from her pocket)

Oh this? Yeah I almost took your advice. But then I remembered. I have family here.

Lilah:

(rolls eyes)

Let me guess. You’ve seen the light and joined the family of Angel investigations. (glances at Wesley) I guess they do have an opening.

Justine:

Don’t be stupid. I’m talking about my sister and Connor.

Wesley:

Are we talking about the sister who’s dead and the Connor who hates you?

Justine:

You’re the last one to bring up hate. I don’t think you’re going to be winning any popularity contests.

Lilah:

Are we done talking yet?

Justine:

What’s your rush? Have you something better going on?

Lilah:

Nothing as interesting as you I’m afraid.

Justine looks over her shoulder and smiles at the four men heading her way.

Justine:

It’s about time.

Wesley takes Lilah by the arm and pulls her behind him. She raises an eyebrow at the chivalry. Justine ducks under the first attack and the second rushes her. She bends to flip him over her back and he lands close to Wes’ feet. He continues to watch as the fight begins.

Cut to cage

Spike:

Please don’t Dru. Why did you come here?

Dru:

Sshh. Now now Spikey. I saw you in my head for so long. You and her, dancing and fighting. (She puts her fingertips on his temples and he closes his eyes) Still lost. I’m gonna find you though. But first, I must get her.

Spike:

(opens eyes and pushes her away)

No!

Dru:

(grabbing him hard by the jaw and squeezes)

Musn’t anger me Love. I’ve been alone all this time.

Spike:

I’m sorry.

Dru:

(frowns) No. I can’t hear you. (she puts her hands over her ears and steps back) No place for remorse in my head. It pains me.

Spike:

(walks closer)

Drusilla. (He pulls her hands down and she looks at him half smiling) You can’t stay here Dru.

Dru:

(frowns and smile turns into pout) Everyone sends me away. What happened to our family Spike? You’ve all changed so. I don’t think I like it.

Spike:

(softly)

We never should have gone to Sunnydale.

Dru:

It was her. The slayer. She got into your head, just like Angel. It grows up and around like a vine. Wrapping around your heart. I was there before her. But she kept pulling tighter and tighter.

Spike:

Don’t do this.

Dru:

Now you have a soul. (starts trembling) You think it will change her. But you’re a fool. She ruined you Spike and you don’t even care.

Spike:

I do care. I care about you Drusilla. If you stay here, you’ll b hurt. I don’t want that for you.

Dru:

(smiles and strokes his cheek)

But you hurt me first. And you did it best.

Spike:

Not anymore Dru.

Dru:

(straightening and tilting head as if listening)

Can you hear them?

Spike:

What?

Dru:

Someone’s crashing the party.

Spike:

Who? Is it the woman? Are they coming back?

Dru:

It’s like in the movies. (claps hands excitedly) Coming to save the day…and there’s so many!

Spike:

Who Dru? Who’s coming? Is it Buffy?

Dru:

(vamps out)

No talking!

She puts a finger over his lips when he tries to speak.

Dru:

From all directions. (starts to spin about the cage) Up and over, down and there. It’s a race Pet. Don’t you see?

Spike frowns and looks around the room to see who will show up.

Cut to door

It opens slowly and Connor is the first to emerge. He is followed by Angel then Buffy and then the others. No one speaks as Angel uses hand signals to direct everyone. He and Buffy communicate easily and she points to her friends when they seem lost.

They are in a long hallway with doors on either end. Angel, Xander, Anya, and Gunn go in one direction, while Connor, Buffy and Giles move in the opposite. Cameras stays with Buffy’s team.

Giles:

(whispering)

Can you trust him to lead?

Buffy:

(looks ahead to Connor)

He’s Angel’s son.

Giles:

I know that. But he did attack Angel once before.

Buffy:

No now Giles.

Giles:

Very well.

They catch up to Connor who is listening at the door.

Buffy:

Anything?

Connor:

(shakes head)

No. But I was distracted.

Giles:

Distracted? How?

Connor looks from Buffy to Giles and back.

Buffy:

You heard us?

Connor:

You are wise to trust me. But to do so only because of who I came from, I’m not sure that’s valid.

Giles:

She knows him more than she knows you.

Connor:

Fair enough. Ready?

Buffy nods and steps forward as Connor opens the door. Without warning he’s pulled through the opening. Buffy kicks the door open to find a demon holding Connor by the throat off the ground.

Buffy:

Hey!

Connor leans his head down and to the side as Buffy punches the demon in the face. His hold loosens and Connor is dropped to his feet. The thing turns its attention to Buffy sending her crashing into Giles. Connor grabs the crossbow from Giles hand and brings it up just in time to halt the demons next move. They look at each other for a second then the demon looks down at the weapon touching his chest. Close up of Connors finger as it pulls the trigger and the bow ejects into the heart of the beast. It staggers back once and hten pitches forward. Connor watches it land on its face unmoving.

Buffy is already standing so Connor offers a hand to Giles. They give each other a silent nod of truce and understanding as Giles takes his help.

Connor:

They know we’re here. We must hurry.

Giles:

Should we go back and warn the others?

Buffy:

Something tells me they already know.

Cut to Room just outside of hallway.

Anya is in corner watching the men fight.

Angel is taking on a vampire who seems to be close to evenly matched with him.

Gunn is on his knees about to take another hit when Xander appears out of nowhere and stakes him through the back. Gunn brushes the dust off and gets to his feet. They turn to watch Angel.

He staggers back form the latest hit and vamps out to retaliate. Without a word, Gunn takes the stake form Xander’s hand and tosses it across to Angel. The vamp sees it coming and tries to intercept it. Angel grabs him by the back of the head and pulls back roughly. The stake lands on Angel’s foot. He elbows the vamp in the gut and when it doubles over in pain, Angel pushes his feet together catching the stake in between. It lifts up and Angel lets go of the guy while he’s still off balance. He lands on the upright stakes and dirties Angel’s shoes.

Xander:

(in awe)

Nice!

Anya:

Improv. Gotta love it.

Gunn:

Good moves.

Angel:

Good thinking.

Gunn:

I do what I can.

Xander:

So I’m thinking the surprise attack? Pretty much out.

Angel:

Looks that way. We better get moving.

Anya:

Something isn’t right in this place.

Gunn:

How so? Other than the welcome wagon.

Anya:

It’s not them. I feel something. We have to be careful. It’s waiting.

Xander:

Can you go to it?

Anya:

No, I can only search out things that I know. I don’t know what this is. But it’s not nice.

Angel:

Story of my life. We’ll find out soon enough.

Gunn:

You figure Connor and them got the same welcome?

Xander:

Is there any doubt?

Angel:

Enough talk. It looks like it opens up past that door.

Gunn:

Lead the way.

Cut to Cordy’s

Dawn:

Are you always this hard to follow?

Lorne:

Where’s Fred?

Willow:

(looks around)

Did she stay with us?

Lorne:

Yeah, she was here when the others left. Fred!

Dawn:

Great. Another problem.

Willow:

Fred?

Lorne:

(hollering)

Fred!

Fred:

(in form back door)

Goodness Lorne! You could wake the dead. (tapping on the wall from Dennis) See?

Willow:

Where did you go?

Fred:

I just needed a minute to myself. Everything has been so crazy lately. I pretend I’m back in my cave in Pylea sometimes. It clears the cobwebs.

Dawn:

Pylea.

Lorne:

(ignoring the question)

Fred, honey, we’ve got to talk.

Fred:

What? What is it? (eyes widen) Did something happen to Charles?

Lorne:

No, no. Nothing like that. But I need your brain.

Fred:

(unsure)

okay.

Orne:

Remember when you first mentioned kyrumption?

Fred:

(smiles)

Of course, Cordy and Angel were training and

Lorne:

You saw moira right?

Fred:

Definitely. Why do you ask?

Lorne:

It seemes so simple then. The two of them, obvious even.

Fred:

And?

Lorne:

But it was before.

Fred:

Before what?

Dawn:

Before now. Great, she’s caught up now just spill it!

Willow:

(touches her arm)

Dawn…

Lorne:

With Darla and Connor and Holtz and Sajhan we’ve been up to our eyeballs in bad mojo and prophecies and destiny and everything involving Angel. But what if the kyrumption was real? But it just hadn’t happened yet?

Fred:

I’m not following.

Lorne:

I got a vision from the PTB all the way in Vegas. So I come back. Cause something big is happening.

Fred:

Yeah.

Lorne:

But the PTB don’t need me anymore, they’ve got Cordleia now right? I mean, when I get here, I assume it’s the Angel in a box thing that was causing it. Not to mention Cordy and her new…whatever.

Willow:

And now you think it wasn’t?

Lorne:

Why would the Powers need me to come if Cordy is their pet project? She could handle it. But if they needed us both, then maybe its not all about Angel anymore or Connor or any of us. Maybe it’s bigger. As in world in peril big.

Dawn:

And you figured all this out because Cordy and Angel had this kyrumption stuff?

Lorne:

It’s when you asked what it meant. It’s like someone finally paid the electric bill in my head and I was blinded. Fred, what is kyrumption?

Fred:

It’s your language Lorne.

Lorne:

Humor me.

Fred:

Kyrumption-when 2 great warriors meet on the battlefield and recognize their mutual fate.

Lorne:

Exactly!

Dawn:

So it’s fate that brought Cordy and Angel together.

Willow:

That was what you wigged about? But you already believed that.

 

Lorne:

You’re not listening. Cordelia wasn’t a great warrior back then. But now she is. She’s been chosen. But she’s not here.

Fred:

(mumbles)

So they can’t meet.

Lorne:

Unless…

Fred:

Unless there’s another great battle.

Dawn:

So? With the two of them, they’re unstoppable.

Lorne:

No, don’t you see? What happens when two people meet?

Willow:

They show up at the same time to resolve something.

Fred:

Oh God.

Lorne:

We weren’t wrong about their fate Fred. We were wrong about what that fate was.

Fred:

It can’t be.

Willow:

I’m lost.

Lorne:

They aren’t meant to battle together. Kyrumption is when two warriors meet. And to recognize their fate, they must first…

Willow:

Battle.

Dawn:

(looks around)

You mean…against eachother?

The four look at one another in stunned silence.

Cut to open warehouse

Buffy is the first to spot the cage. She doesn’t recognize her at first but when Connor tried to step closer, Buffy holds up an arm to stop him.

Connor:

What is it? We have to do it now.

Buffy:

He’s not alone.

Giles:

Is that…?

Cut to opposite side of room. H eother group ahs entered.

Angel:

Drusilla.

Xander:

No way.

Anya:

That’s what I felt.

Gunn:

Why is she in there with him?

Xander:

Rekindling the flame?

Angel:

Do you see Buffy?

Anya:

Over there.

The three men lean sideways to see Buffy staring at the cage flanked by Connor and Giles.

Gunn:

She doesn’t look so good.

Angel:

(grimly)

No, she doesn’t.

Cut to Cage

Dru:

(Hands over Spike’s eyes)

Peekaboo Lover. Looks like a tie.

Spike:

(moving her hands away)

What are you…Buffy?

Dru:

Yes dearie. She’s come for you. But not alone. Not without her Angel.

Spike glances behind him to see Angel and his group.

Dru:

Poor Spike. Always the bait, never the catch. (turns to face Buffy and speaks loudly) You’ve ruined him Slayer. You’ve destroyed my Spike with your strings and traps and wicked ways.

Buffy:

(deadpans)

And I suppose what you did to him was heaven?

Spike:

Buffy…

Dru reaches back with lightening speed and scratches his cheek with her nail drawing blood. She catches it with her fingertip and puts it to her tongue.

Dru:

(to Buffy)

Wanna taste? It’s not love unless you can taste it. Did you know that? (turns to look at Angel and stops sucking he finger) You knew it didn’t you Daddy?

An uncomfortable tension settles over the room.

Cut to W& H Lobby

Justine has dispensed with three more men and is finally showing signs of weakness. She’s backed against the counter and barely managing to keep the guards baton from crushing her windpipe.

Lilah:

I guess you’re about to be free of your attempted murderess.

Wesley:

Shut up Lilah.

A loud noise startles them as a portal opens over the guards head. He stops and looks up to see what it is. Justine clocks him in the jaw and he stumbles back just as Sajhan falls to the floor in a heap. Cordelia and Skip appear next to him and the portal closes.

Cordy:

(brushing herself off)

Does that ever get easier?

Skip:

You get used to it.

Sajhan:

(standing up)

I never had this much pain when I skipped through dimensions.

The guard recovers finally and goes to step in between Sajhan and Justine.

Sajhan:

Now that’s just rude.

The guard doesn’t have a chance to respond before Sajhan snaps his neck.

Sajhan:

(looks at Cordelia)

Did I mention thanks for the get out of urn free card?

Justine:

Oh God.

Cordelia looks from her to Lilah and then Wesley.

Wes:

Cordelia?

Cordy:

You can see me?

Lilah:

Of course we can see you.

Cordelia:

(smiles and looks at Skip)

They can see me!

Skip:

Alert the media.

Cordelia:

(frowns and turns angrily to Wesley)

You are SO in trouble Mister!