A Fighter's Love by Cheri

Chapter 38

 

Fade in on Hyperion Office

Giles:

This can’t be right.

Willow:

What is it? What did you find?

Giles:

(Takes glasses off to set volume down on desk)

It’s Voca. Everything I can find on the demon Wes took the spell from leads me right back to one point.

Fred:

Which is?

Giles:

If Wesley is correct, and some sort of drug was somehow introduced into Buffy before the spell took, it should have interfered with the spell.

Willow:

I’m thinking that calls for a big fat “duh!”.

Giles:

No, you’re not hearing me Willow. If Buffy was drugged, one would assume from Connor’s description to the point of unconsciousness, and the spell took, Dru should have been the only one affected. She was the only one in the vicinity who would have been a viable receptacle.

Fred:

Unless it wan’t a man-made drug.

Giles:

Pardon?

Fred;
I just mean that Lilah isn’t exactly known for going to the local dealers for a quick buy, she tends to pull from the resources most accessible.

Willow:

The dark side.

Giles:

Of course. I was looking in Voca’s text for reactions to drugs not even invented in his time. How asinine!

Willow:

So if it was a mystical drug that Lilah gave to Buffy and a mystical spell that Wesley performed then Buffy must have had some sort of…overload?

Fred:

But the spell is over, I mean maybe the drug’s not worn off but the spell is over right?

Giles:

One would presume that to be. But something very strong has to be driving Buffy to such behavior.

Willow:

She wasn’t Buffy. What she said, the things she did, that wasn’t Buffy.

Fred:

A part of it was.

Willow:

You don’t know that.

Fred:

I’m sorry Willow. Really I am. Its just that some of what she said sounded pretty personal and self realizing. Like maybe she’d been needing to say it for a long time. I’m not saying it was all her, that’s obvious. But you can’t deal with this if you can’t even deal with what she did realistically.

Willow:

But Buffy doesn’t do that. She never would do that.

Giles:

Let’s focus on what’s important. We must find a way to determine the effects of two such powerful mystical energies colliding and consuming at once. There has to be something here that we’re missing.

Willow:

It would help if we knew exactly which mystical energy Lilah was using.

Fred:

Gunn will call the second they find something. I know he will.

Giles:

Well, let’s hope they hurry up about it.

Cut to Street

Sajhan:

So are you two gonna get a room or what?

Buffy:

Patience. You’ve got to have patience.

Sajhan:

No. What I have to have is Angel and the boy wiped from existence. In all dimensions. What I don’t need is more passionate talks and looks between the two of you.

Spike:

Nobody said you had to stick around Pal. If you don’t like it, you can…

Buffy:

Hold up Spikey. I think you might want to reconsider.

Spike:

Why is that?

Buffy:

(strokes his head)

Little chippie in your head still pains my boy. Wouldn’t you like to know why? That soul hasn’t done a thing for you so far has it? Let’s see if we can find out why.

Spike:

And you think he can be of service?

Anya:

So that’s the big plan? You find out what’s wrong with your boyfriend? I knew I shouldn’t have come!

Buffy:

Oh Anya, shut up! Where else would you go? Back to the hotel and watch your ex make googly eyes at Cordelia?

Anya:

He wasn’t making googly eyes!

Sajhan:

Alright, you know what, I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes to get away from this insipid chatter. What do you want to know?

Buffy:

I want to know why my boy is so jumbled inside now. And why he can stand in the sun. I want to know everything.

Sajhan:

And what do you have to say?

Spike:

Me? I don’t know anything. I came to this bloody city to find out and got caught up as usual in Angel’s mess. I went to see a guy, fought some other guys, and got a soul. Then I get all fuzzy about the details and find myself in the sun and not being a pile of dust. Followed by several very painful attacks that would normally have been caused by human food or fighting except I didn’t do either.

Sajhan:

And this chip?

Anya:

It’s a toy some soldier boys put in his head years ago. It’s a whole thing. Turned him right around and led him to go for our little Buffy here. Kicks in when he tries to bite people. Learned quick not to do it.

Sajhan:

So the chip prevented you from feeding as before? It kept you from any violence against humans?

Spike:

Except Buffy.

Buffy:

That’s not the issue. Sajhan, you’ve been around. Traveled through time and dimension and such.

Sajhan:

So.

Buffy:

So you know better than anyone how to figure this out. Go find the answers.

Sajhan:

I don’t have to go anywhere to figure this one out.

Spike:

Do tell.

Sajhan:

You’re a demon, no soul. You kill, you feed, you wreak havoc. It’s a simple life.

Spike:

Damn straight.

Sajhan:

Then you get some techno gadget in your noggin that prevents you from doing any of the aforementioned. So you had to adjust.

Spike:

That’s what the guy said.

Buffy:

What guy?

Spike:

Lilah brought him to find out what happened to me.

Buffy:

Oh and you definitely want to believe her.

Spike:

(irritated)

He said the same thing. He said that my priorities shifted and I had to find something else to hunger for.

Sajhan:

So you found the girl.

Buffy:

So what does that have to do with now?

Sajhan:

You are the warrior of the people? Man, standards aren’t what they used to be.

Buffy jumps up and kicks him in the groin. He drops to his knees and she elbows him sharply in the nose. He tries to counter with a left hook but she blocks it and backhands him instead. He stops trying to fight and looks up at her.

Buffy:

What were you saying about standards?

Sajhan:

Point taken. (stands up and dusts himself off) I can see what they see in you. Cute blonde packing a punch, very nice.

Spike:

Would you just bloody well get on with it?

Sajhan:

You got a soul Friend. This is most likely causing the chip to impair you in a dramatically different way. It protected beings with souls from you. It kept you in the dark. Now you are a being with a soul. So the gadget is protecting you.

Anya:

You mean he can be in the sun for the same reason that he couldn’t eat people anymore?

Sajhan:

In a nutshell.

Buffy:

But what about the headaches? He gets them when he isn’t even fighting anything. Out of the blue.

Sajhan:

He knows the answer to that one.

Buffy:

(looking at Spike)

You do?

Sajhan:

Its okay. He’s in denial. Heck, if I suddenly had to pull a 180 for the second time I would be leery.

Anya:

So you tell us!

Sajhan:

The chip is protecting the being with a soul, just like it was programmed to. So Spike can walk in the sunlight, but I wouldn’t bank on that lasting. But it also is preventing him from feeding his hunger just like it did before. Only it doesn’t realize he’s not hungering for blood any more.

Spike;

Alright, we get it.

Buffy:

Huh? I’m not getting it. Oh wait. You mean, his headaches are...(She grabs her stomach and closes her eyes against a sudden pain)

Spike:

Buffy!

Cut to W&H

Dawn:

I told you they wouldn’t find us if we came the way the girls and I did earlier.

Gunn:

Great. We made it in undetected. Now what?

Wesley:

Follow me. I know.

Connor:

I should lead.

Wesley:

Admirable I assure you, but you can’t lead us when you don’t know the destination. Besides, if they attack, you should be in back. I can’t let anything happen to you again.

Gunn:

Just catch the back for surprise attacks Connor. Wes is right.

Dawn:

And I guess that means I’m in the middle.

Welsey:

You guessed correctly. Now no more talking. The less noise the better.

They walk silently down the hall for a minute before Wes stops by a door.

Gunn:

(whispering)

What is it?

Wesley:

(points at door ad whispers back)

Chanting. Someone is doing an incantation. (listens closely) I can’t make it out.

Dawn:

So what do we do?

Connor:

I’ll take the door down.

Wesley:

Wait. We can’t just barrel in there. He could be doing something that will have ramifications for someone else. Maybe Buffy.

Gunn:

So how do we find out who and what he’s chanting?

Wesley:

I need a distraction. A way for others to assure him that he’s not at risk.

Gunn:

Others?

Wesley:

He’ll have at least two people guarding him. If something happens to divert their attention they will check to ensure his safety. Once they do that, he will be alone for a few moments hopefully and I can try and decipher the dialect and language he’s speaking. Enough to find out if he’s involved in what’s happened to Buffy.

Connor:

So it s a distraction then.

Gunn:

But someone has to watch your back.

Dawn:

You stay. I will get them out of that room.

Wesley:

Dawn, I don’t think…

Dawn:

And lets keep it that way.

She turns and races down the hall. Connor looks at her, then the guys before running after her.

After several seconds an alarm sounds and Wes and Gunn barely have time to slip into an empty office before they hear the occupants of the room exit and race down the hall. They wait for another to return and mumble something into the door next to theirs and leave again.

Gunn:

You sure learned a lot in your short time here. You could do color commentary

Welsey:

I intended to help. I know you don’t believe it, but its true.

Gunn:

I believe you.

Wes:

You do?

Gunn:

When you first came over here, and Xander and I showed up. You called me Charles. It didn’t hit me until you got back earlier. If ever there was proof you weren’t being real, it was that. You never use my name unless it’s dire.

Wesley:

Wish you could have realized that before then.

Gunn:

Yeah well you still pulled some dumb moves on this one Wes. But I’m kind of getting used to you screwing up the best intentions.

Wes:

Um…thank you I guess. Now shut up so I can listen.

Cut to Alley

Angel:

Cordelia, I really don’t…

Cordy:

Just shut up okay? I know how this works. I try and tell you something and a big ugly interrupts yet again and we keep going like this. Well, its not going to happen this time.

Angel:

We have to find Buffy. There will be time to talk.

Cordy:

Really? When? Cause last time we tried to talk, I got turned into a higher being and you got to be fish food. I’m thinking fates not on our side.

Angel:

You’re being dramatic. It’s not that bad.

Cordy:

Do you know why I wanted to see you that night Angel?

Angel:

(fidgets)

That night? On the cliff? Um…well I did give it some thought and…

Cordy:

Groo left me.

Angel:

Left?

Cordy:

Yeah. Didn’t you wonder why he wasn’t around?

Angel:

I hadn’t really thought about it.

Cordy:

That was his point.

Angel:

I’m confused.

Cordy:

He left because of you Angel…because of us.

Angel:

Us? Us. (clears throat) Why would he do that?

Cordy:

Stop that!

Angel:

Stop what?

Cordy:

I have to tell you the truth Angel. You’re my best friend and I feel like I’ve been hiding the best part of me from you for months. Shoot, I was hiding it from myself I guess. But…

Angel:

Cordelia stop it!

Cordy:

(looks hurt)

What?

Angel:

Whatever you think you want to say, whatever you have to tell me, you can’t do it now.

Cordelia:

Is it…you mean you know and don’t…

Angel:

It doesn’t mean anything.

Cordy’e eyes well with tears involuntarily and she turns to shield her face.

Angel:

(softens and twirls the mallet in his hand)

Wait. Don’t do that. Its not that.

Cordy:

Then what.

Angel:

I wanted to tell you something that night too. And yes, I think we still have something to talk about. (Cordy turns looking relieved) But it can’t be now. Not after…

Cordy:

After Buffy.

Angel:

I just mean there’s too much going on and if we do this now, if we both say something we think we know, then we’ll still be left with finding Buffy and fixing this mess. And I don’t want anything to interfere with that when it happens. Does that make any sense?

Cordy:

Buffy comes first.

Angel:

Yes. I mean no…at least not like you mean. I don’t think so anyway. (frustrated and moves away to pace) You’d always wonder and so would I if it was somehow about Buffy. If Buffy being here and everything that’s happened was fate or destiny or some Powers That Be trick of light to make us feel something or say something that didn’t come from the place we thought it did.

Cordy:

I know where I’m coming from.

Angel:

Do you? Really? How long will you be here this time Cordy? How long until you leave again? And when will you be back if you do? Will you be back at all? And she saved me Cordelia! I still don’t understand it, but she came here when I was…she knew. I felt he..I felt it. And that has to means omething right? But now Spike is here and with her. There’s just too much.

Cordelia:

I understand.

Angel:

You do?

Cordy:

I understand because there’s no time not to.

Angel:

(relaxes and tosses mallet back to rest on his shoulder)

You’re an amazing woman Cordelia Chase.

Cordy:

Big ugly.

Angel:

Hey! Watch who you’re calling ugly!

Cordy:

Not you goober! (points) Big ugly!

Angel turns to see a trio of rather angry looking scaly demons coming at them.

Angel:

Oh.

Cut to Hyperion

Fred hangs up the phone.

Giles:

You said Nerifil?

Fred:

Yes. It’s a Nerifil demon they found chanting in a guarded room.

Giles is thumbing through a text. Willow seems to remember something and rushes to search through the bookcase.

Fred:

Willow? What is it?

Willow:

I’ve heard it. I know I’ve heard it.

Giles:

What do you remember exactly?

Willow:

(pulls volume down and flips through pages frantically)

Its like subliminal messages. Nerifil demons have a mist, a very powerful mist that renders a victim virtually catatonic.

Fred:

But Buffy’s not catatonic.

Willow:

(slams book down in front of Giles)

Here. See? I saw it once when…well it doesn’t matter when. But this is major stuff. This mist is like opening up a person’s mind. It becomes a sponge for anything in the vicinity when it takes affect.

Giles:

(reading and mumbling at same time)

She would have been helpless to prevent whatever happened.

Willow:

Dru was there. They sadi Dru was on the box, attacking in vamp anger. She was screaming. All that anger, the fury, the bloodlust, it was pouring right into Buffy.

Fred:

So the spell Wesley did had nothing to do with it?

Giles:

Not quite. Wes’ spell worked. He sent Drusilla to hell or some dimension thereof. But she wasn’t all there when she left.

Willow:

Buffy had soaked it in. I don’t know how much, but she wasn’t fighting, she was just laying there taking it.

Fred:

But the mist or the drug or whatever should have worn off by now. Why is Buffy so Dru like still?

Giles:

Wes said he’s still chanting. It must be still holding her somehow.

Fred:

Not for long. Gunn said Connor and Dawn had provided a distraction. Wes and Gunn are going to take him out now that they know he’s the cause.

Willow:

Good. Then things will get back to normal.

Giles:

No. Oh no.

Willow:

Don’t do that.

Giles:

Fred, get Gunn on the phone now. Tell him they musn’t interrupt the Nefiril.

Fred:

Why?

Giles:

(Yells)

Stop asking questions and just dial the bloody tele!

Fred jumps to do it.

Willow:

Giles, you’re scaring me.

Giles:

If she doesn’t reach them before they stop the ongoing incantation fear will be the last thing to worry about. If Wesley and Gunn succed in their goal, Buffy will be lost…forever.