A Fighter's Love by CheriChapter 34
Fade in on Basement Connor: What is it gonna take for you to leave me alone? Justine: Me not seeing you in murder mode would be the first step. Connor: You didn’t hear the things she was saying. Justine: Hello? Have you listened to way she talks? She doesn’t even know what she’s saying. (looks at Dru) Nothing sadder than a looney vampire. Dru: (Secretly working on loosening the ropes around her hands) Looney, looney. Only one of Dru. I’m all complete. (puckers and frowns) But you, you’re missing something. Other half rotting away. Justine: Shut your mouth. Dru: Ssshh. Musn’t upset little brother. Tender ears and such. So young. (Looks at Connor) Older than others though aren’t you Love? Connor: She can’t keep me from killing you. Justine: Dru is taking advantage of their distraction and has almost freed herself. She looks around to see that there’s only one way out. Connor: (stands up and throws the stake in the chair) I don’t owe you anything! You helped Holtz trick me into believing that Angelus had returned. You helped me put him in that box! You heard him deny it and you kept silent! You shouldn’t even be here! Dru: Putting Angel in a box. (laughs gaily) Silly ones, he’s been in one before and clawed his way out. Digging, fighting, scraping until breaking free and running again. Justine: Can you shut your mouth for two seconds? Dru: Quiet then. Justine and Connor face off again and don’t see the last knot come loose. Dru is free but sits watching. Justine: I’m not leaving until you and I are square. Connor: I don’t know what that means. Dru suddenly cries out. Dru: Oh no! (drops back on hands and closes eyes flailing about) No! Not Daddy! Musn’t go in there. Justine: What? Connor: (walks to stand over her) What are you saying? Do you see Angel? One of the others? What do you see? He bends closer trying to hear her incoherent mumbles and when he gets close enough she vamps and whips up in an instant to put him in a head lock and look at Justine. Dru: Nummy treats. Justine looks down at the stake in the chair and back to Connor about to be bitten. Cut to Office Dawn: We have to tell them. We have to find them and tell them. Lorne: Easier said than done munchkin. They were kind of on a mission. Fred: There’s always a mission Lorne. Giles: She’s right. This can’t be put off. It could mean every thing that’s happened has been part of the prophecy. Going all the way back to events in… Lorne: Pylea. Sajhan: Ok folks, stepping in. You are too wrapped up in the shanshu deal having to be about Angel and the girl. What about the new player? Dawn: I hate it when I agree with the demons. Giles: Yes, well perhaps he does have a point. Spike would appear to be the wildcard in our present situation. Until we find out if he affects all that Angel has learned here, we can’t assume that the kyrumption will come to pass. Lorne: So how do we do that? Fred: We need to find out how he regained his soul. Weneed to find out how Lilah found that guy who first told him that his soul wasn’t a curse, but a reward. Giles: What did you say? Fred: Which part? Giles: You said his soul was a reward. Is that what you said? Fred: That’s what the friend of Lilah’s said. Giles: Give me that book Dawn. (takes it and reads again) Yes, its right here. Shanshu…the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny will shanshu. Become human, it’s his reward. Lorne: Fred gives him a look. Dawn: So Spike already proved himself worthy of a reward. He earned the soul he has. So does that mean it’s him? Giles? Is it Spike that will become human one day? Sajhan: But he doesn’t have a son. Fred: You only care about yourself! Sajhan: Excuse me, but I don’t think I ever denied that. I may not be able to kill you all like I want but I’m still interested in knowing who will one day kill me! Giles: I don’t believe one has anything to do with the other. Angel is still a vampire with a soul, he still is the only one with a child. Until we know differently we have to assume that any prophecy of your death at the hands of the child must pertain only to Angel. Sajhan: Great. Now I know I didn’t go to all that trouble for nothing. Fred: Except you kind of did. Sajhan: What? Oh, yeah it didn’t turn out like I planned, but I’m out now. And eventually this little gag will wear off. Lorne: Ok, I’m usually the first to quiver with fear, but can you go back to standing in the corner trying to look menacing? We’ve got work here. Sajhan: You will be shown no mercy when I am released from these binds. Lorne: Glad to hear it. Now? He waves his hands toward the corner and raises an eyebrow. Sajhan looks at all of them and huffs turning away. Sajhan: (mumbling) I don’t have to stick around for this. He leaves the office. Dawn: Answer me Giles. Cut to Other dimension Cordy and Xander appear and he is still lifeless at her feet. Cordy: Xander? Please Xander, you have to wake up for me. Come on, penetrating gut wound? It’s not that bad you big wuss! Try rebar on for size! Xander: (eyes open slowly) Cord…(groans) Cordy: That’s better. Now look at me for a sec. Just look at me Xander. He struggles to focus and she places her hands over his stomach. She looks up and then takes a deep breath. Skip: (from behind) That’s my girl. Cordelia jumps Xander cries out in pain. Cordy: Skip! Skip: You’re learning. You did something without thinking. Cordy: What are you talking about? Xander’s dying Skip! Skip: But you did the right thing. You acted as a higher being Cordelia. Cordy: What are you saying? That this is another test? I don’t want to pass if it means that I lose Xander! Skip: Wow. Cordy: What? Skip: Pretty amazing. First he hears you when no one else can, now you forget your other ties to earth in an instant to save him. You left Angel in a fight down there. But you got Xander out. Cool. Cordy: Cool? Are you saying…oh no. Xander? No way! I just don’t want to see him die. Skip: Very well. But you owe him a debt of thanks. If not for him, you would not be here now. One step closer to your destiny. Cordy: Great, I’ll be sure and thank him when he’s conscious and not bleeding from the stab wound! Skip: Listen to me, They called me for a reason. Your friends are about to figure out the truth and you must be ready before you can be told. You are a higher being now Cordelia. Decisions are difficult but weild much power. You can affect history and entire worlds with your will. But it all begins where your heart still lies. The scroll of Aberjian… Cordy: Aberjian? That’s the scroll with the prophecy about Angel. Skip: Yes. Cordy: (turns to look at Xander) He’s still bleeding. Skip: Nothing dies here Cordelia. It’s a place of suspended being. You brought him here because he would be safe. Cordy: But he’s in such pain. Skip: It will pass. Cordy: I told him I would be with him until it happened. Skip: Xander? Cordy: No! Angel. We knew it would be a long time. We knew it would be after many battles. But I told him, I promised him that I would be with him until the prophecy was fulfilled. Skip: And you will. Time flies. Cordy: Really? Skip: You will be there for shanshu, it can not happen without you and vice versa. But you must be ready for it. Cordy: For what? Skip: The final battle. Cut to Secret place Buffy comes to and finds herself in a box. There is no top and she’s bound with handcuffs. Gavin: Hello there Buffy. Good to see those pretty eyes again. I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever wake up. I thought slayers could take pain better than the average bear. Buffy: What do you want? Gavin: Why do the good guys always refuse to have an intelligent conversation? Its always short demands and threats. Buffy: You do realize that there are about 10 or 12 people finding the most effective way of killing you right now. Gavin: That’s daily for me I’m afraid. You’ll have to think of something better to threaten me with. Buffy: How about whatever they come up with will pale in comparison to what I will do myself when I get loose? And I will get loose. Gavin: Sure you will. I’m counting on it. It wouldn’t be any fun if it didn’t last a while? Buffy: What’s going to last? Gavin: No, I’m afraid I can’t give everything away so quickly. But you will be fine here for now. I’ll bring you when I’m ready. Buffy: Where are you going? Gavin: To get the other guests. (motions for the lid to be put on) Rest up. You’ll need it. I understand you have some experience lying in a closed box. Buffy’s eyes widen as the lid comes over and it closes down sealing her in a box the same size as a coffin. A strange odor is noticed and she looks to see a faint cloud of smoke entering through a crack. Her head begins to feel funny. Cut to Street Several bodies fly across the screen and we see Angel and Spike fighting side by side pretty much pummeling the guys. Angel: (picking one up by the collar) Ok, I got eternity to beat on you or you can tell me where he took the girl. Your call. Man: I swear I didn’t catch where they were going. They paid us to stand watch and keep the van running. Some dude brought a girl out and shoved her in the van and they took off. Angel: Wrong answer. He hurls him across the sidewalk and he hits the side of the building unconscious. Spike: (Kicks his guy and straddles him when he falls. He leans down and puts an elbow across his throat as he vamps out to bite) One shot to make me forget how hungry I am. Guy: Ok, ok! Give me a sec to think here. I heard the guy tell another guy that they had a box. No! It was two boxes. Two boxes and she’d fit in one. But they didn’t mention a place. Spike growls and bends lower. Guy: But! But I did hear one of them say Voca. Yeah voca! Some guy to bring out the dark side. Angel stands and walks to push Spike off the guy. Angel: Did you say Voca? Guy: Yeah, I swear that’s all I know. Please don’t kill me. Angel picks him up and shoves him away. The guy runs. Spike: Please tell me you have a reason for letting him go. Angel: I know where they are. Spike: And when do I get to know? Angel: Just come on. We don’t have a lot of time. I have to find a phone. Spike: A phone? Cut to Office The door opens and Gunn walks in. Fred: Charles! She hugs him tightly and then they both pull back a little embarrassed about the scene. Dawn: Willow, Anya! Willow: Hi Dawnie. (She helps Anya sit in a chair) Giles: Anya? Willow: She’s kind of in shock or something. She was all vengancy with Lilah and then she just went lethargic. She won’t say anything except mumblings about Xander. Dawn: Where is Xander? Anya: (monotone) I was there. But he couldn’t see me. Then he was on the floor and the blood, but she got to him first. Dawn: Blood? There was blood? Who had blood? Gunn: Xander got knifed. Dawn cries out and Willow takes her arm. Lorne: Let me guess, Lilah. Sajhan: Excuse me… Fred: Not now. So where is he now? Willow: Cordy took him. Dawn: What do you mean she took him? Gunn: I think she was going to do her glowy healy thing on him like she did me. But he was retty bad. Might take some time. Sajhan: Thought you might… Lorne: Big guy! Give us a minute here. Please! Giles: And Buffy, where is she? Gunn: They got her. Dawn: What? Who got her? Gunn: Don’t know. Gavin and some of his cronies I guess. Angel and Spike went after her. He told us to come back here and stay put until they got back. No one is to leave. Sajhan: One more time… Gunn: What man? Sajhan: I just thought you might like to know that Lilah just took off with the crazy chick and my killer. Fred: Huh? She rushes out and the others follow. By the time they all gather in the lobby, she comes back up the stairs. Fred: He’s right. They’re gone. Gunn: I knew we should have hog tied that bitch. Willow: I thought big Creepie here was going to keep an eye on her. Sajhan: And I did. I eyed her going out with the crazy chick. She looked like she would be chowing down on someone pretty darn quick. I’m thinking my problem is about to get solved. Dawn: You’re awful! Sajhan: Thanks. Giles: So what now? Anya can’t be moved. Angel wanted us to stay but Connor is in danger. Anyone have an idea? Lorne: I really hate this. Dawn: What? Lorne: I’m going to check with Them, but let me tell you right now, I lose another horn, I better get some serious concern and sympathy when I get back. I was thinking of doing it anyway. We’re running in circles down here and they have a better view. You all should stay together. Stay here and I’ll go see what I can see. Giles: Is this something you do a lot? Lorne: Only when its life or death. (starts to walk up the stairs to the door and turns around) Yeah, I do this a lot. He leaves and Giles goes to try and talk to Anya. Willow tries to reassure Dawn and Gunn and Fred watch Sajhan carefully. Cut to Gavin in hall on phone Gavin: I’m impressed. See what happens when we work together? Lilah: Shut up. I’m doing this for my own reasons. Are you sure they’ll find you there? Gavin: I’m expecting them any minute. Which is why I must ask… The elevator door open and Lilah emerges holding the phone up to her ear. Dru still holds Connor and she directs Justine to walk in front of her. Lilah: What were you going to ask? Gavin: (smiling) Nothing. Lilah: Everything ready? Gavin: (sweeps a hand towards the door) See for yourself. Lilah walks in to se the shut box and another crate sitting empty. Justine: What the hell is this? Gavin doesn’t answer and instead pulls out his taser to drop Justine. Connor watches in growing fear. Dru: Is it my turn to play now then? I bring you the worms, where are my fish? Lilah: On the way Dru. I promise. Now hurry and get him in the box. We have a special seat for you. Dru: (reaching down to nick Connor with her fangs) Oops, just a taste. Musn’t damage the worms Dru. Two men take Connor and shackle him before throwing him in the box. The lid is shut and Connor cries out for the first time. Buffy: Connor! Dru: (head snaps to look at the closed box) I know that voice. The buzzy bee in his head, gnawing and stinging and ruining. Stay in your box Missie, or I’ll have you like crumpets with my afternoon tea. Cut to Angel and Spike striding in silent anger and vamped out down the darkened street. Cut to Giles studying a book while Dawn and Willow try and comfort Anya. Cut to Buffy in box seemingly resolute in her fate. Cut to Connor in box having flashes of dropping Angel in the ocean. Connor: (barely audible) Father.
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