Final Thoughts by Cheri

Chapter Nine

One’s greatest fear is to possess power beyond measure

Unknown

 

Fade in Sunnydale

Upstairs – Spike and Dawn

Dawn: What did you call me?

Spike: (sits up) Listen to me Dawn. I know you haven’t been too keen on me of late and rightly so, but you have to believe me.

Dawn: Right. That’s gonna happen.

Spike: Damnit, I’m telling you the truth. You’re not safe here.

Dawn: And what would I be with you?

Spike: Alive.

Dawn: Not likely. Listen, I don’t know if this is the evil Spike talking or what, but I’m not stupid. And if you don’t watch it, I’m gonna tell Buffy what you’re suggesting and then you’ll be out on your bloody, tortured butt, so don’t push me.

Spike: (flops back defeatedly) What am I thinking? Of course I couldn’t keep you safe. I don’t trust myself how can I expect anyone else to? Forget it.

He closes his eyes and when he opens them again Drusilla is there.

Dru: Look at my poor dear, beaten and bruised. (pouty lip) And I didn’t even get to help.

Spike tries to look away but she steps closer to Dawn.

Dru: Young blood is always so tasty. You taught me that. So bad Spike. Your punishment is my reward. Did you know? Every time, I can feel it and it makes me all tingly down deep. (smiles and sniffs at Dawn’s neck) Could you do it Pet? They won’t let me. But you could and we could share like before.

Spike: Stop that. Get away from her.

Dawn turns to look around the empty room.

Dawn: Don’t try that with me. I don’t believe you see anything. You just want Buffy to think you’re haunted so she’ll feel sorry for you.

Dru: Her voice hurts our head. We’re going to kill her. Parts in boxes and jars to play.

Spike: (shaking head) You’re not real. You’re not Dru.

Dawn: Dru?

Dru: It sent me for you. I’ve come to take my boy home. You belong with me after all. She’ll never give you what you need. You’ll only suffer here. And she’s not done with you.

Dru turns into Angel

Angel: She eats you from the inside. And the only way to make it stop is to run. Run away Spike. Before it’s too late.

Spike is completely blown away and his eyes are like saucers.

Spike: Not you.

Angel: Oh yes. It’s me Spike. The real me. And I’m coming for you all.

He vamps out and lunges for Dawn in Angelus mode. Spike yells with primal force and Dawn rushes out of the room in shock just as Spike watches Angelus close in.

 

Cut to Downstairs

Xander, Fred and Buffy all hear the yell and Buffy rushes to the stairs to see Dawn running down frantic.

Dawn: I am not going back in there! He’s crazy! And you’re crazy to keep him here!

Buffy: What happened Dawn? Tell me what he did!

 

Cut to LA Tavern

Wesley, Connor and Faith walk into the dimly lit establishment to see only a few patrons. The news is on and the hail storm is being discussed. More excuses and placating for the masses.

Faith: It’s gotta suck to be dependent on these idiots for information.

Guy at bar: (leering) Speaking of sucking…

Faith: Oh yeah, that’s gonna get you some. (back to Wes) I see some things never change.

Wes: Apparently not.

Connor: Why are we here?

Wesley: I explained as best I could already. I believe the only way to even consider Angel’s plan is to guarantee that we are in control, not Angelus.

Faith: And I already told you it’s impossible to control Angelus.

Connor: No demon is controllable.

Wesley: But Angelus is different. He doesn’t exist merely for the kill like other demons. His weakness is his passion. Not unlike Liam’s before he was turned. Therein lies our chance.

Faith: That’s why you sent Shaft Jr.’s girl to get B. You thought she could distract him in to not killing everyone.

Wesley: His name is Gunn and yes, that was part of it.

Connor: I don’t understand. My father and this girl, the other slayer, what passion is there between them?

Faith: Wow, guess the father/son bonding got set aside?

Connor just looks at her.

Wesley: Angel and Connor haven’t had much opportunity to talk about the good old days. If there ever was such a thing.

Connor: What about Cordelia?

Faith: Cordelia? You mean? (smiles) Right on. Angel moving on with B’s arch rival, nicely played.

Wesley: Cordelia and Angel haven’t moved on to anything. Not exactly anyway.

Connor: They won’t be. Cordy is with me now.

Faith: Huh?

Wesley: (points) Here it is.

They all look at the men’s restroom door in front of them.

Faith: You dragged us here so you could take a leak?

Wesley: (reaching in pocket and looking around to make sure no one sees) Of course not.

He pulls a bag of powder out of his pocket and scoops some into his hand and begins to speak.

Wes: I call on Tonatiuh. Seeking wisdom and guidance. Protection among the protectors and light among the dark. Guantas Pawstat Mejort.

He tosses the powder at the door and it disappears into the wood. Faith and Connor look at each other and then back at the changing mass in front of them. Wes takes a step back as a wind rushes past them and the door expands into an entryway down an endless hall.

He steps forward and the others follow hesitantly. As soon as they get past it, the entrance is sealed behind them.

Faith: (looking back at the wall) I hate it when they do that.

Connor: We’re trapped.

Wes: Sshh. Just follow me closely.

They continue down the hall for a bit until finally a man appears through a wall and steps in front of them. Faith looks to see the wall is solid behind him.

Faith: Cool trick.

Man: You risk much to come here.

Wesley: The risk is greater not to.

Man: And you bring him. (points to Connor) He does not belong.

Wesley: He’s here to help.

Man: There will be no help for what’s to come. Only a choice of how much pain.

Faith: I gotta tell you. I’ve missed this. Cryptic banter, magical bathrooms, you just don’t find this in the House you know?

Man: You think you’ve conquered what drove you away from them. That will be your worst mistake.

Wesley: I’m here to plea for help. Are you he?

Man: I am your only hope. But I do not exist in miracles. And that is what you need to survive.

Wes: Leave that to us. I only want assistance with a demon.

Man: (to Connor) The weakness was passed onto you. It will be your end.

Connor: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Man: You will. And the others as well.

Faith: Can we get past the scary warnings bit? Can you help us control a demon or not?

Man: (nodding to Faith) I submit to your power.

Wes: Lovely.

Man: Angelus will never be controlled. Only given new motivation. This is what I can provide.

Faith: How?

Man: They will allow me to harness his soul. It won’t be lost, only removed. But my strength will be greatly diminished with every moment I conduct such a task. The soul will be much the same. Whatever you hope to accomplish, if not achieved timely, will result in the harness being removed and the soul being lost forever. Are you certain it is worth the risk?

Connor: And what happens if we have to kill him before we can restore his soul?

Man: Another risk. Do you think yourself strong enough to kill him?

Connor: I will protect myself and those I care about.

Wesley: (interrupting) We all realize this is not a rational solution. But what we’re dealing with is beyond ration as well. So will you do it?

Man: I will begin now. You’ll only have a short time to prepare.

Faith: Wait, you’re not coming with us?

Man: My place is here. I can not leave. And the soul will only exist and survive here as well. If I harness in your dimension, it will destroy us both.

Wesley: How do we know when you’ve done it?

Man: (looks at Connor) He will know before any others.

Connor: Why me?

Man: It is your destiny.

Faith: No fair. I thought I was the only one here with a chosen destiny.

Man: His wasn’t that of choice. Yours is. Move quickly.

He backs into and through the wall and a loud knocking is heard. Wesley, Connor and Faith turn to find themselves in a dirty bathroom. Faith squinches her nose.

Faith: Oh man. Prisons got nothing on this stench.

Voice O.S.: Hey! What’s going on in there?

Wesley opens the door and the three exit. The drunk man looks on in surprise.

Man: So that’s how you like it huh?

Faith: (brushing past him) Wouldn’t you like to know?

 

Cut to Hyperion

Cordelia is reeling from her vision.

Lorne: I thought these things weren’t supposed to hurt anymore.

Angel: Are you okay?

Cordy: I’m fine. Really. It didn’t hurt.

She looks up into his eyes and he drops his hand from her arm and steps back going stoic.

Angel: Good. So what was it?

Cordy: (noting his reaction) It’s coming.

Angel: The beast?

Cordy: Something even worse. I couldn’t see it but…(she starts thinking hard and then looks petrified) Oh God.

Lorne: I hate it when she says that.

Cordelia: It’s hopeless. There’s too much.

Angel: Cordelia, can I get a little more?

Cordy: (looking up at him) It’s you. You’re going to go after them all.

Angel: What? You mean Angelus? Does something happen? What did you see Cordelia?

Cordy: It’s not what I saw. It’s about what you saw. Oh Angel, there’s so much to explain.

Angel realizes what she’s referring to and steps back.

Angel: No.

Lorne: Am I still here? Can I know what’s going on?

Cordy: (not even hearing Lorne) Why didn’t you tell me? I never wanted you to find out like that Angel. You saw Connor and I in bed together.

Lorne: Uh-oh.

Angel: There’s not time for this Cordelia.

Angel backs up the stairs of the landing and looks away from her.

Cordy: It’s one thing to be Angelus but it’s another to be Angelus with a grudge. You’re setting yourself up to do things you’ll never be able to take back.

Angel: What exactly did you see?

Cordy: Nothing exact. I felt what you felt. And then it was just red. Blood red and dark and cold and scary beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. Oh Angel, you can’t do it. Not now. Not while you’re so angry.

Lightening cracks outside.

Lorne: Uh-oh.

Angel: How could you do that? He’s my son.

Cordy: I’m not even sure myself. I swear it wasn’t supposed to be like that Angel. I just wanted to…

Angel: To what? Hurt me? Forget me? Do you have feelings for him? (grabs her by the shoulders and speaks loudly) Tell me Cordelia, are you in love with Connor?

Lorne: Uh-oh.

 

Cut to outside Hyperion

Clouds move and swirl overhead.

Cut to Sunnydale

Buffy: Dawn, you have to calm down here.

Dawn: You calm down! Spike is a raving lunatic…an enil raving lunatic and you refuse to see past your sick, twisted lust hangover!

Willow: Dawn!

Xander: The girl’s got a point.

Fred: Did she say lust? You mean Buffy and that guy? But isn’t he a vampire?

Xander: Your point being?

Buffy: Everyone just shut up. I am not going down this road again. This is not about any feelings I may or may not have for Spike. It’s about keeping him alive. Because that’s what I do. That’s what we do remember? We help victims. And Spike is the First’s biggest victim right now.

Dawn: I don’t know what he thinks he’s seeing or hearing up there, but I am not stepping foot in that room again. He can bleed through his bandages and develop gangrene for all I care!

Anya: She’s got a way with the visuals.

Buffy: Dawn, how can you say that? After everything Spike has done for you?

Dawn: That’s not Spike up there Buffy. Why can’t you see that? It’s a piece of him but something else is behind the wheel. I wish it was Spike. I wish I could hear him say…

She stops suddenly.

Xander: What?

Dawn: He called me Little Bit.

Willow: He’s always called you that.

Dawn: No. Not since…not since before he left. He sounded s urgent.

Buffy: About what? What did he say Dawn?

Dawn looks at her hesitantly and there is a loud knocking on the door.

Gunn: (yelling though door) Fred! Fred it’s me. You in there?

Fred runs to open the door and Gunn and Giles enter. Xander watches Fred throw herself into Gunn’s arms and he swallows hard.

Anya: (whispering into Xander’s ear) Looks like your damsel in distress won’t be needing your services anymore Sir fawn-a-lot.

Xander: What? Oh, you thought…oh come on. I knew all along. I was just being polite. But more importantly, is someone feeling a bit jealous?

Buffy: Giles. I’m so glad you’re here. We have got major to do and apparently you didn’t care enough to warn me before you went trapsing to LA.

Giles: I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. I’d hoped I’d be in time. Tell me what’s happened.

Willow: I’ve been researching Giles. You told us once about the super vamps that used to roam the earth. Pure and untarnished by human blood. I think that’s what’s here. I think the First is bringing back his chosen ones to take back what they believe to be theirs.

Gunn: So what does that have to do with the big ugly in LA?

Buffy: Maybe nothing.

Giles: Except the harbingers came after Angel and the others. I believe in their search for Faith. Just like what was happening in England and all over the world from what I can deduce.

Fred: Is everyone okay back home?

Gunn: Yeah. Wes is doing his own thing as usual, but the others ar ein the hotel. They said they’d wait for us to get back. Speaking of which.

Giles: Take my car. It’s a rental from Los Angeles.

Fred: I don’t know if we should leave just yet.

Gunn: Why not?

Fred: I saw something in that seal at the school. It was a lot like the center ring of the calendar. I think we should make sure it’s not all related.

Buffy: Listen, I know you guys have your way of doing things and the whole private eye gig going but I can handle things here. This is my town. You belong with Angel.

Anya: If she knows something that could help, maybe we should listen.

Willow: Giles, what is the plan here? I’m tending to think time is not on our side.

Dawn: Hello? This thing is able to mess with people’s minds. At any moment any one of us could be taken over and lead us all into a trap. How can we believe anything at this point?

Another yell from upstairs and Gunn pushes Fred behind him.

Gunn: What the hell was that?

Dawn: That is my point exactly. We’re in the same house as Psycho Spike.

Gunn: (to Giles) I thought you told Angel this Spike dude was helping Buffy?

Buffy: (eyes widen) What? What did you tell Angel about Spike Giles?

Giles: (takes off glasses) Nothing. I said nothing. I simply said he had gone through some changes and I couldn’t get into it. Now why is he screaming out like that?

Dawn: Probably talking to Dru again.

Buffy/Willow/Xander: Dru?

No one says anything as it begins to sound like the ceiling will crumble under the racket being made upstairs.

 

Cut to Hyperion

Cordelia still hasn’t answered Angel when Wesley and Faith comes through the doors.

Faith: Lookie here. Did we interrupt?

Angel: Finally. (turns away from Cordelia) Did you find anything?

Wes: I think we did.

Cordy: And?

Faith: We got our boy here a round trip to the great soulless beyond.

Angel: Then you found a way to take my soul?

Wesley: We found a way to harness your soul. But there’s not a lot of time.

Angel: Ok, then we need to prepare. Faith, you will be in charge.

Faith: No prob. (steps closer to him) You helped me angel. Believed in me. That meant a lot the last couple of years.

Angel: The person that helped you will be gone Faith. Do you understand that?

Faith: Yeah I do. That’s why I’m saying thanks now. Unless I don’t ever get the chance again.

Angel: (smirks) Your welcome.

Angel: Alright, first things first. Chains, handcuffs, shackles, anything you can use to hold me.

Lorne: I think we might have that covered guys.

The others turn to see Connor standing with his familiar stake bracelet pointed at his father.

Connor: It’s time.

Wes: What? How do you know?

Connor: I can smell it. Cordy, get away from him.

Cordy looks at Angel.

Cordy: No Connor. It’s just Angel see?

Lightening cracks again and some kind of energy blows into the room knocking Angel to the ground.

Wes grabs Faith and Cordy and pulls them away. Angel tries to sit up but can’t. He arches his back and practically growls and fades into a whimper. Cordy wants to go to him but Faith stops her.

Lorne throws some shackles to Wes and he and Connor head for Angel’s limp form.

Wes: Now! Quickly!

Connor bends to grab a wrist and is surprised by a harsh blow. He flies into the wall and slumps against it. Wes steps back in awe as Angelus rises slowly and turns to face his audience.

Angel: (in vamp face) Now that alone was worth the trip.

He looks at Connor and begins chuckling as only Angelus can.

 

Cut to Sunnydale

Spike: (screaming inhumanely) NNOOO!!!!!

Buffy takes the stairs two at a time to throw the door open and see him in a cold sweat staring at her.

Buffy: What is it?

Gunn, Giles and Xander appear behind her.

Spike: (vamps out) It has begun.

 

Cut to Downstairs

Willow, Anya , Dawn and Fred are in the entryway looking up the stairs when the door flies off it’s hinges and flattens the four of them against the wall.

They look to see a hideous beast with cloven feet looking down at them.

 

Cut to LA – Exterior

Alley night

A vamp is about to feast on a young woman when he’s grabbed by the neck from behind and lifted off his feet. She runs away and the vamp gets a look at his attacker.

He sees the gnarled hands and decaying face and is utterly petrified. His fear doesn’t last though as the pure one tosses him aside in disgust and wipes his hands as if touching it made them unclean.

The vamp skitters away and the other turns to look across the street at the hyperion.