Final Thoughts by Cheri

Chapter 16

 

Fade in Exterior – Sunnydale High 

Dawn: Willow, what’s happening? 

The ground shakes and Xander takes a step sideways awkwardly. 

Wesley: It’s happening. It’s coming now. 

Giles: Xander. 

Xander: I know. I know.

He takes Fred’s hand again and motions for Willow to follow. They run towards the back of the school. 

Lorne: Did I miss something? 

Giles: We’ll be needing your demon. 

Lorne: I like my demon just the way it is thank you. 

Wesley: Lorne, it will sense you. We need a distraction. Let’s move. 

Lorne: Sure, let poor Lorne be the distraction. Poor pitiful used and abused Lorne will be the bait…again! 

He allows the two men to push him towards the front entrance. 

 

Cut to Basement 

Gunn and Faith have dispatched the last of the vamps and finally feel the shaking. Faith loses her balance and Gunn catches her against his chest as they both turn to look at the seal. It’s opening slowly and they step back. 

Gunn: What the hell is that? 

Faith: I’d say something’s about to come knockin’. 

Gunn: Maybe we should get out of here. 

Faith: (stands up straight) No, I have to face this. It’s what we do. If the First is coming for a visit, I’ll be the welcome wagon. 

Gunn: (tightening grip on dagger) Well I aint leavin you here alone. 

A hand rises from the hole slowly and begins to pull. Faith sets her attack stance and clutches the stake at her belt. 

Faith: You might want to rethink that. 

Their heads fall back as they watch the beast rise from the seal. He towers over them snarling. He looks around and more vamps appear. Faith and Gunn wait for the first move but it doesn’t come. Instead the beast steps back against the wall and is silent. 

Faith: Ok, this is a new strategy. What is he doing? 

Gunn: It looks like he’s waiting. 

Faith: For what? 

Gunn: (sees over Faith’s head) I’m guessing that. 

He points and Faith turns. Her eyes widen as the stake drops from her shocked fingers. 

 

Cut to Mansion 

Angelus: I won’t let you do it to me again. 

Buffy: I don’t think you can stop what I have planned. 

Angelus: You take one step and you’ll regret it. 

Buffy: Regret. (sighs) Now that’s an interesting concept. I have so much regret. Did you know that? My life has been nothing but for the last three years.  

Angelus: Can we just fight now? Cause listening to you wax philosophic on your meaningless existence really bores me. 

Buffy: But don’t you want to hear what I regret? 

Angelus: Your choice in careers? Boyfriends? Hairstyles? I could go on if you’d like. 

Buffy: (laughs) No, you’re thinking too small. (motions for the man to walk towards her) No what I regret most is wasted time. 

Angelus: Don’t. 

Buffy: You see, I’ve seen a lot in my short life, done a lot. Hell, I’ve died a lot. 

Angelus: More than most. 

Buffy waits for the man to stand next to her and motions for him to put the box on the ground at her feet. He does so. Angelus eyes it waiting for an opening. 

Buffy: Now now, I know what you’re thinking. But I need you to focus. See, I’ve done the fighting you to the death thing. It’s tired and I’m not one for replays. So I started thinking. What if I could erase all my regret? What if I could kill two birds with one stone so to speak? 

Angelus: Is this going anywhere any time soon? Cause we have somewhere to be. 

Buffy: We? Hmm. I kind of like the sound of that. So you know who this is right? He’s the man to thank for releasing you. I guess you owe him a debt of gratitude.  

She walks behind the man and peeks around his shoulder. 

Buffy: But what he doesn’t know is that I’m the one that wants to thank him. 

The man looks at Buffy in confusion as she kicks into his knee from behind. He collapses onto both knees and Angelus raises an eyebrow. Buffy looks at him and smiles. 

Buffy: I don’t think I should waste any more time do you? 

Before Angelus can answer she reaches around from behind wrapping both forearms around his neck. She maintains eye contact with Angelus as she twists in one fluid, quick motion, breaking his neck. He drops to the floor and Buffy steps over his body to stand in front of a shocked Angelus. 

Buffy: You’re welcome. 

Angelus looks beyond her to the box sitting on the floor next to the body.  

Buffy: What? (turns to see what he’s looking at) Oh that. Yeah, I guess we don’t want to leave that laying around now do we? 

She steps over and seems ready to bend to pick it up. But at the last second she raises a boot and stomps down on it shattering it into pieces. A green haze expels and Angelus stumbles back a bit. Buffy turns to see him waiting for the inevitable. It never comes. 

Buffy: (walking back to him) What? You were expecting a soul? No such luck I’m afraid. Funny thing about magic, when the wiccan dies, their magic dies with them.  

Angelus: What are you saying? 

Buffy: (reaches to touch his face and he flinches uneasily) I’m saying you’re free Lover. For good. And I’m done wasting time not being with you. 

She pulls his head down and kisses him hard. 

 

Cut to Street 

Anya: Why are her eyes like that? Is she going blind? 

Spike: Don’t ask me. She’s one whacked lass, that’s for bleeding sure. 

Anya: Should we help her? Should we run away? Cordelia? Can you hear me? 

Cordy is in the throes of a vision. She sees the beast, then Angelus and Buffy. A few more flashes and it’s gone. She starts to fall and Spike reaches out to steady her. 

Spike: Whoa there. Don’t fall out on us. 

Anya: Cordelia, what was that? You were floating!  

Cordelia: (holds head and steps back from Spike) We have to go. We have to get there before it’s too late. 

Anya: Get where? Did you see Angelus? 

Cordy: Worse. 

Spike: Not bloody likely. 

Cordy: (looks at him) It was Buffy. 

Spike: What about Buffy? Did he hurt her? I’ll kill him. 

Cordy: No, they were fighting…together. 

Anya: Excuse me?  

Cordy: There’s a big ugly thing on the floor.  

Anya: It’s at the school. Spike was tortured there. 

Spike: Thank you Anya. 

Anya: You’re welcome. We should go now. We can tell the others. 

Cordy: They already know. I saw them there. It’s who Buffy and Angel were fighting. 

Spike: You’re mistaken. Buffy would never join him. You got some bad information. 

Cordy: (sarcastic) Right Spike. Cause this whole higher being, vision thing is just hit and miss. 

Spike: Higher what? 

Cordy: (steps closer) Don’t push me boy. 

He starts to say something but then stops when they lock eyes. He cowers a bit and steps away. 

Anya: (looking at the both of them) Spike? What’s…?  

Cordy: We’re going. 

She takes off leaving the others still standing there. 

Anya: Spike? 

Spike: (looking at Cordy) She’s not just…She’s got power. 

Anya: Cordelia? Power? She said she had changed.  

Spike: She didn’t just change a bit Anya. She became. 

Anya: Became what?  

Spike: I don’t think we’re supposed to know that yet. Come on. 

He strides away as Anya follows still confused. 

 

Cut to Basement 

Faith stares at the person stepping from the shadows. 

Gunn: This can’t be good. 

Buffy walks to stand in the middle of the now closed seal. 

Buffy: You look surprised Faith. Surely you can appreciate the lure of the dark side.  

Faith: Where did you come from? 

Buffy: Everywhere.  

Gunn: Looked like the corner to me. 

Faith: You’re not Buffy. 

Buffy: It’s no fun when they figure it out so soon. (walks to stand next to the beast) My children are all coming home. And when they do, my family will be the end of you all. 

Xander: (walking in with Willow) Our family might have something to say about that. 

Buffy: You? The witch who’s too afraid to embrace her own power and you? You have no power. 

Dawn: (walking in) You’re wrong. We have power you can’t fathom. 

Fred comes in just after her and Gunn holds out a hand to pull her to his side. 

Buffy: (to Dawn) You were a source a great power. And it was wasted. Just like so much of your lives. You’ve been fighting what there is never an end to. Darkness always comes. Evil is the birthplace of all things.  

Dawn: You leave my sister alone. 

Buffy: (laughs) It is you who will be begging to be left alone before it’s over. All of you.  

Faith: Xander, tell me you didn’t come here without weapons. 

Xander: What? Oh. Well funny thing…pretty much no. 

Gunn: Fred you know better than that.  

Willow: The rest are coming. We came with back up. 

Angelus: (pushes Wesley into the room) Was this the back up? Cause I don’t think it’s gonna work out for ya. 

Wesley: I’m sorry everyone. 

Angelus: Don’t worry. The party’s just getting started.  

Buffy: Where is she? 

Angelus: (notices her) Not loving the double dose. 

Buffy looks at him before transforming into the Master. 

Angelus: Now that’s an oldie but a goodie. 

Xander: More like ugly and a baddie. 

Fred: What is he? 

Willow: The master. Buffy slayed him years ago. He killed her the first time. 

Gunn: That girl’s got some stories don’t she? 

Master: Bring one to me. 

Angelus looks around and grabs Willow by the arm. 

Xander: No! 

Willow: Stop it! Let me go! 

Xander steps forward and a vamp comes at him knocking him against the wall.

Angelus pushes Willow to stand in front of the master and he leans in without touching her. She stares at him and he seems to recognize something in her eyes. 

Master: I see me in you. 

Willow: (menacing) Never. 

Master: You have some of me, (looks at others) All of you have darkness in you. (Back to Willow) But you. You’ve tasted it. You’ve felt the power. And now it will be with you forever. 

Willow: I’ll never be like that again. I know how to fight it. 

Angelus: Can I just kill her now? She’s so whiny. 

Buffy: (pushes Giles down the hall) You promised you wouldn’t start with out me honey. 

Now the room is at a stand off. The Master, Willow and Angelus are standing on the seal. Wesley is to the side with a vamp on either side of him. Faith, Gunn, Fred and Xander are farthest away on the opposite side of the seal. Buffy pushes Giles and he stumbles towards Wesley. Angelus smiles and the Master claps his hands. 

Master: There’s my girl. 

Xander: You mean there’s your girl that killed your ass once and is about to do it again. 

Giles pushes his glasses up on his nose watching Buffy closely. 

Buffy: Oh Xander, will you be good for anything besides pathetic attempts at humor? 

Angelus chuckles. 

Dawn: Buffy!  

Xander: (slowly) What’s happened to you? 

Buffy: (smiles and walks towards Angelus) What can I say? I finally realized what’s been missing all this time. 

Fred: An ill-timed and poorly thought out practical joke? 

Willow: Buffy? 

Buffy ignores them all and Angelus wraps an arm around her. No one is sure how to react. When Angelus bends to kiss her the Master finally breaks the silence. 

Master: I knew you could do it Angelus. My prodigal son returns and has brought a peace offering.  

Angelus: I thought you’d like it. 

Xander: This isn’t happening. 

Dawn: It’s a trick. 

Wesley: Giles. 

Giles: I’m afraid it’s not a trick. 

Willow: Buffy? 

Buffy extricates herself from Angelus’ arms and walks to Willow. 

Buffy: I see what you meant now Will. When you turned last year, you were on the right track. I mean the view from here is so much more interesting. 

Faith: It doesn’t last. 

Buffy: (turns) Faith! I’m so glad you’re here. I mean last time I kicked your ass I had the pesky conscience holding me back. But my boy here is about to take care of that. An then it’s go time. 

Faith: You don’t want this. Whatever angle you’re working Buffy, you can’t do it alone.  

Buffy: Do I look alone? 

Angelus slides his arms around her waist form behind and starts kissing her neck. It’s all Xander can take. He rushes the couple and tackles them both to the ground. All hell breaks loose in the room. Angelus vamps out and rushes Xander. He hits the ground hard. 

Gunn and Fred are jumped by two vamps and Gunn decapitates one in an instant as he goes to bite Fred. Then he’s jumped by the second and Fred tries to help. 

Dawn rushes to pull Willow away from the seal and they run into a corner.  

Dawn: Do something Willow! Use magic! 

Willow: (scared) Dawn I can’t. It’s not that simple. 

Dawn: Look at them! Someone has to do something. 

Cut to Giles and Wesley taking on the other vamps and struggling with no weapons. Buffy goes in to help Angelus but Faith jumps in her way. 

Faith: I thought we were going to play. 

Buffy: I don’t have time for you. 

Faith: (backhands her) Come on B. There’s always time for us. 

Buffy glares at her for only a second before she sees the master watching. She glazes over and begins to fight. 

Xander has managed to pull away from Angelus and they face off. 

Xander: What did you do to her? 

Angelus: Nothing. (smirks) Just gave her what she wanted. 

Xander: She would never want you. 

Angelus: I’m gonna have to disagree Boy. 

He starts to lunge again but Xander ducks and runs. Angelus sees Faith and Buffy fighting and gets distracted. The beast begins to move closer to the fighting when Lorne comes running in.  

Lorne: How’s this for a distraction? 

Cordelia, Spike and Anya walk in and all movement stops. The vamps in the room seem frightened and all back off into the corners. The master hisses and starts fading away. 

Master: Destroy them all. 

He disappears and the vamps take off. The beast is all that’s left. He looks around at those in the room. 

Beast: It is time. 

Angelus: Give me a minute Big Guy. 

Buffy looks at Spike and then away before he makes eye contact. Cordelia looks at Angelus then around to the battered friends struggling to make sense of what’s happened.  

Cordy: Buffy. I saw it. I know what you’re doing. 

Buffy: Really? And what is that? 

Cordy: You can’t turn your back on everything you know.  

Buffy: You mean like you turned your back on Sunnydale? Or Willow turned her back on us last year? Or how Giles turned his back on me and just left? Seems to me that’s all any of us do. Well I’m done. 

Faith: You’re a slayer. You can’t escape that. 

Buffy: That’s right. I’m a slayer. Destined to fight evil and die young. Except I didn’t did I? You know why? Cause none of you would let me. You weren’t strong enough to face the dark without me so you pulled me back to it.  

Spike: What are you going on about? 

Angelus: (holds up hand when Buffy starts to speak) No let me. Spikey old pal, I’ve got some news. Remember how Dru only settled for you until I came back. Well, looks like she wasn’t the only one settling. 

Spike: You don’t know anything about it. 

Angelus: Don’t I? Let me think, you’ve been getting the good stuff from the Slayer here since the loser I once was walked away. I get it, I should have expected it really. But now you have to get it.  

He pulls Buffy to him. 

Angelus: Would you like to tell him or shall I? 

Buffy hesitates only seconds before reaching a hand out to take Angelus’. 

Cordy: (shakes head) No. 

Spike watches as he pulls Buffy to him and they hold each other. 

Spike: What the hell is this? 

Angelus: We’ve come to an agreement. We work much better as a team. 

Spike: Buffy? 

Buffy: (looks to meet his eyes) What can I say? I’m tired of the good fight. I’m ready for some badness. 

Spike: You’re lying. 

Dawn: We know you’re lying Buffy. You’re trying to trick us and them at the same time. But it’s not gonna work. 

Buffy thinks for a second and then walks to Dawn. Without a word she slaps her hard across the face. Faith steps forward. 

Angelus: (grabs Faith’s wrist) You really don’t want to do that. 

She looks at him and he nods towards the Beast. She pulls her hand free and glares at him.

Dawn holds a hand against her cheek trying not to cry. Willow steps forward. 

Willow: I won’t let you hurt them. 

Buffy: I was hoping you’d say that. 

She smiles and blows a kiss to everyone in the room before taking Angelus’ hand and following the beast out. No one moves to stop them. They’re all in shock. 

 

Cut to Corridor 

Buffy: You go ahead and join the others, I have a surprise for my guy. 

Beast: It is time. 

Buffy: It is time, it is time. That’s all you can think about. Just go. We’ll be right behind you. 

Angelus: What was that about? 

Buffy: You’ll see.  

She pulls him along quickly as he chuckles. 

 

Cut to Room with seal 

Xander: Giles, that was an act right? Please Giles, tell me that was an act. 

Giles takes his glasses off and begins to clean them. 

Dawn: She hit me. 

Willow: Shh. It has to be some sort of demon influence. I mean, there’s no way Buffy would just up and decide Angelus is the guy for her. 

Spike: Aarggh. (He punches a wall and dirt falls from it) Why did we just let her leave like that? 

Wesley: Did you have a better idea?  

Spike: Well I’m bloody well gonna find one!  

Cordy: Wait. We have to think about this. 

Xander: I’m thinking Angelus is the antichrist. 

Anya: That’s impossible. 

Xander: It was a figure of speech An. 

Willow: Giles, she brought you in here. What did she do to you? What did she say? 

Giles: Not much I’m afraid. Wesley and I were waiting for Lorne to make his move to distract them and we were going to rush in here to help. But Angelus and Buffy showed up and you saw the rest. 

Faith: She wouldn’t just turn like that. B doesn’t have it in her. Something’s up. 

Giles: Unfortunately we don’t have the time to give her the benefit of the doubt. As it appears, she’s joined forces with the First and all others below him, That leaves only those of us in this room to stop them before it’s too late.

Lorne: Is anyone else here paralyzed with fear at that statement?

Cordy: He chose her. He was supposed to hate her.

Xander: No, he was supposed to want to torture her, drive her crazy and eventually make her turn her back on everything and everyone she knows. I’m thinking he succeeded.

Dawn: We have to do something. We can’t just leave her with him. With those things.

Gunn: Looked to me like she was pretty happy to be there.

Willow: Shut up! You don’t know Buffy.

Gunn: Maybe not, but I know cold when I see it.

Fred: Wesley, what about you? What do you think?

Wesley: I’m gonna have to agree with Giles.

Spike: No!

Wesley: While I appreciate that Buffy is obviously under a tremendous amount of pressure, if she’s taken it upon herself to act alone, we can’t be expected to wait for her to decide to include us if that’s even the case.

Cordy: Yeah cause Wesley knows all about the solo gig don’t you Wes?

Fred: That’s not fair.

Cordy: Well this isn’t the third grade Fred and evil doesn’t play fair!

Gunn: Hey! Watch it.

Dawn: She hit me.

Willow: We know Dawn. But more importantly, we have a renegade slayer, a vamp that has been cooped up with a soul for years, and the first all ready to pronounce our world ended.

Giles: Precisely and the fight has just begun. Buffy made one mistake, she showed her hand. Now we can prepare accordingly.

Faith: So you think this is it? Buffy’s the enemy?

The group looks around from one to the other, no one willing to answer.

Cut to Mansion

Buffy opens the door and pulls Angelus inside.

Angelus: Listen, I know your jazzed about the new gig, but I’m not your ex. I’m not into the romance.

Buffy: That should work out then. Neither am I.

Angelus: So why are we here?

Lilah: Maybe I can answer that.

Angelus turns to see Lilah emerge from the bedroom and he looks at Buffy to see her smiling.

Angelus: What’s this?

Lilah: We’re on the same team, I thought a proper introduction was in order.

Angelus: Except we all already know each other. So what’s the point?

Buffy: I’ll show you Love. Don’t be so short with our guest.

Lilah: It’s alright. I’ll give you two a minute.

She walks outside to the atrium and steps outside of view. When she lifts a hand he steps from his hiding place.

Lilah: Do it now.

The man from before is alive and looks at her.

Man: Is she certain?

Lilah: I’m certain. Do it.

He nods once and begins.

Cut to inside Mansion

Buffy: If you aren’t gonna let me have fun with you, what’s the point?

Angelus: Oh I have plenty in mind for us. You just have to do one thing.

Buffy: Oh yeah what’s that?

Angelus: Let me finish what I started. Let me make us one. We can live forever together. We’ll reign alongside the First.

He looks at her neck where he had tasted her once before. She thinks for only a moment before exposing her neck for him.

Buffy: I thought you’d never ask.

He smiles and lowers slowly.