Authors Notes: I am using scripts created by Alexander Thompson to write the Edispilf universe

Authors Notes: I am using scripts created by Alexander Thompson to write the Edispilf universe. I give him thanks, because I honestly haven't seen much of late season two. As per normal, I own nothing, don't sue me.

The Edispilf universe is one of the five stem realities mentioned in my story Flipside. It diverges in the middle of Surprise, which is where I begin my tale.

Surprise

This episode was originally broadcast on January 19, 1998.

Buffy and Angel make their way to a ship. Angel has the box on his shoulder. They walk arm in arm. Buffy leans into him, and he kisses her on the head. When they reach the gangplank Angel sets the box down. They take a few steps away from the box.

Angel: I should go the rest of the way alone.

Buffy: Okay.

Angel: But I'll be back. I will.

Buffy: When? Six months, a year? You don't know how long it's gonna take or if we'll even... (Looks down)

Angel: Hey... (Raises her chin) If we'll even what?

Buffy: (tears in her eyes) Well, if you haven't noticed, someone pretty much always wants us dead.

Angel: Don't say that. We'll be fine.

Buffy: We don't know that.

Angel: We can't know, Buffy. Nobody can. That's just the deal. (Reaches into his pocket) I have something for you. For your birthday. I... I was gonna give it to you earlier, but... (Shows her a ring with an intricate design)

Buffy: It's beautiful.

Angel: My people -- before I was changed -- they exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It's a claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship; the crown represents loyalty... and the heart... Well, you know... Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody.

Like this.

He shows her his own ring on his finger. She touches his hand, leans over and kisses the ring.

Angel: Put it on.

He takes the ring from her and slips it onto her finger.

Buffy: (sobs) I don't wanna do this.

Angel: Me either.

Buffy: So don't go.

They kiss. She puts her arms around him. After several kisses they stop and look at each other.

Angel: Buffy... I...

Two vampires suddenly jump at them from some cargo netting. One pulls Buffy off of Angel and throws her back. The other begins to fight with Angel. Buffy rolls to her feet. The vampire swings at her, but misses. She grabs him and starts pummeling his gut.

Angel flips the other one over onto his back. He gets up, and Angel swings at him three times, but he blocks all of them. Angel's next punch lands on the vampire's face. Buffy ducks a swing, lifts herself up on the dock railing and kicks her assailant in the chest with both feet, sending him staggering back into the gangplank.

She gives chase and grabs him by the back of the shirt and hair. He growls. Dalton drops out of the cargo netting now, too, runs over to the box, grabs it and starts to run.

Buffy: Angel! The box!

Angel ducks a roundhouse kick, grabs the vampire's arm and flips him over onto his back. He runs after Dalton and tackles him to the deck.

Buffy's attacker shakes free of her and shoves her into a stack of crates. He follows up with a roundhouse kick, but she ducks it and he just hits the crates. She makes a grab for him, but he punches her in the face. Angel gets ready to punch Dalton but gets distracted when the vampire he was fighting before grabs the box and makes a run for it.

Buffy's opponent grabs her by the jacket and roars as he swings her around, trying to throw her over the railing and into the water. She catches the railing and swings up and kicks the vamp in the face.

Buffy: Go!

Angel: Buffy!

Buffy: Just go!

Angel boards the ship, watching Buffy fight off the last of the vamps and Dalton escaping. As the boat pulls away, we see her hauling Jenny out of the harbor where she ended up after the fight.

Cut to the library. Giles is researching the Judge. He looks up from his books.

Giles: They should be back by now.

Willow: Maybe Buffy needed a few minutes to pull herself together. Poor Buffy, on her birthday and everything.

Xander: Hmm, it's sad, granted. But let's look at the upside for a moment. (Gets up) I mean, what kind of a future would she've really had with him? (Willow looks sadly up at him) She's got 2 jobs -- Denny's waitress by day, (Giles looks up, too) Slayer by night -- and Angel's always in front of the TV with a big blood belly, and he's dreamin' of the glory days when Buffy still thought this whole creature of the night routine was a big turn on.

Willow: You've thought way too much about this.

Xander: No, no. That's just the beginning. Have I told you the part where I fly into town in my private jet and take Buffy out for prime rib?

Willow: (sees Buffy come in) Xander...

Xander: And she cries?

Giles: (stands up) What happened? (Xander sits)

Buffy: Dru's guys ambushed us. Angel managed to get away with the box.

Giles: Where's Jenny?

Buffy: Uh, she went home to get cloths. I, I had some here.

Xander: And we needed clothes because...

Buffy: We got wet. Giles, what do we know?

Giles: The more I study the Judge, the less I like him. His touch can literally burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has.

It's good that you don't have to fight him.

Buffy: Giles, have you considered the fact that we only had an arm? I mean, everyone here knows demons don't exactly have to be complete to wreak havoc. Look at what happened to Willow.

The room goes silent, as this has occurred to no one else. Xander feels the need to break the tension.

Xander: What's the problem? We send Cordy to fight this guy, and we go for pizza. (Smiles)

Buffy: Can this guy be stopped? Without an army?

Giles: Um (reads) 'no weapon forged can kill him.' Not very encouraging. If we could only stop them from assembling him.

Buffy: We need to find his weak spots, and we need to figure out where they'd be keeping him.

Giles: This could take time.

Willow: Better do a round robin. Xander, you go first.

Buffy: Good call.

Xander heads for the phone.

Giles: Round robin?

Willow: It's when everybody calls everybody else's mom and tells them they're staying at everyone's house.

Buffy: Thus freeing us up for world saveage.

Willow: (smiles) And all-night keggers! (Gets a look from Buffy and Giles) What, only Xander gets to make dumb jokes?

Xander: (on the phone) Mom, hi. Xander. Yeah, uh, Willow and I are gonna be studying all night long, so I'm not gonna be coming home.

Cut to later. The research is going hot and heavy. Xander walks over to Willow at the counter with another open book.

Xander: Tsk. I think I read this already.

Willow: I can't get over how cool Oz was about all this.

Xander: Gee, I'm over it.

Willow: (smugly) You're just jealous 'cause you didn't have a date for the party.

Xander: No, I sure didn't.

Giles: (comes out into the main room) Any luck?

Giles sees Buffy asleep in his office and holds up his hand to silence them. The gang follows Giles' gaze into the office.

Giles: Sh-sh-sh.

They see Buffy with her head down on the desk.

Giles: (whispers) Seems Buffy needed some rest.

Willow: Yeah. She hasn't been sleeping well, because of her dreams?

They all go back to their tasks. The camera closes in on Buffy and loses its focus.

Cut to Spike's warehouse. Buffy walks in, looking at the party decorations. All around candles on tall sticks have burned way down. She goes to the table and walks around it. On the other side she sees Jenny walking the other way. She's confused about that, but gets distracted by several boxes sitting on the floor and goes over to them.

Drusilla: Now, now.

Buffy spins around to see her on the upper level holding Angel in front of her.

Drusilla: Hands off my presents.

She puts a sharp blade to Angel's neck.

Buffy: No!

Cut to Giles' office. Buffy wakes from her nightmare with a start.

Buffy: Angel!

Willow, who is sitting beside her, can offer no comfort.

Willow: I'm sorry, Buffy. Angel may be the one thing we can't get you for your birthday.

Cut to Spike's warehouse. Drusilla stands at the top of the spiral staircase and claps her hands.

Drusilla: More music!

She bobs her head to the gothic beat as she descends the steps. The party is going well. She makes her way to the head of the table and begins to dance there. "Transylvanian Concubine", performed by Rasputina, plays.

/If you want to know how/

/To fly high then go now/

/To the place where all the concubines.../

/Meet and converse with them/

/Marvel at their pale skin /

/Wonder how they chew on their pointy.../

/Teeth and hair are beauty/

/They know it's their duty/

/To be Countess in their hearts and their...

Spike comes rolling in with a large box in his lap.

Spike: Look what I have for you, ducks.

Drusilla looks over at him.

/Minds that have to whisper/

/See in them a sister/

/Look into their eyes and you'll become/

/Transylvanian Concubine/

Drusilla smiles and steps over to him.

Drusilla: Ahh... The best is saved for last.

She takes the box from him and peeks inside.

Drusilla: It's fake. Will it still work my Spike?

/You know what flows there like wine/

/Sorrow is their master/

/Cackling with laughter/

/Now he's having just one piece of.../

Spike: It should, luv. I had one of the boys rip it off some git in the park.

Drusilla gives a smile and hands the box to two vampires. The two vampires take it over to where the other boxes have been assembled into the shape of a body. They raise the box and set the head in place.

/Cakey is their make up/

/Catholics try to shake up.../

Once in place, a bright light emanates through the cracks in the boxes.

Drusilla: (smiles) Hmm.

The front of the now unified boxes opens like a pair of twin gates to allow the Judge to step out. His skin is blue, and he has small horns on his forehead. He opens his eyes.

Drusilla: He's perfect, my darling.

Spike looks up at her.

Drusilla: Just what I wanted.

She steps back to him and takes his hand. Drusilla looks up at the Judge.

Drusilla: Goll...

The Judge steps out of his box. He has difficulty keeping his balance. He points at Drusilla.

Judge: You!

Spike: (rolls over to him in Dru's defense) Ho, ho, ho. What's that, mate?

Judge: You two stink of humanity. You share affection and jealousy.

Spike: Yeah. What of it? (Taps his armor) Do I have to remind you that we're the ones who brought you here?

Drusilla: (smiles) Would you like a party favor? (Indicates her guests)

The Judge looks at the party guests. His gaze settles on Dalton.

Judge: This one is full of feeling. He reads. Bring him to me.

Another vampire grabs Dalton and keeps him from running away.

Spike: What's with the bringing? I thought you could just zap people.

Judge: My full strength will return in time. Perhaps quicker if you had not lost my true arm. Until then... I need contact.

The Judge steps over to Dalton.

Dalton: No. No! NO!

The Judge puts his hand on Dalton's chest, and he begins to smoke. Drusilla watches excitedly. The Judge's hand begins to burn into Dalton, who quickly combusts, disappearing in a flash of flame and smoke.

Drusilla: (gasps) (gleefully) Do it again! Do it again!

She smiles down at Spike. The Judge smiles as he feels his power begin to return.

Cut to the library. Buffy comes striding out of the cage. Willow follows her out. Giles looks down at them from the stacks.

Giles: Buffy, what's happening?

Willow: She had another dream.

Buffy: I think I know where Spike and Drusilla are.

Giles: (comes down the stairs) That's very good, however, you, you do need a plan. I-I know you're concerned, Buffy, but you can't just go off half-cocked.

Buffy: I have a plan. I go to the factory and do recon, figure out how far they've gotten assembling the Judge. You guys check any places the boxes could be coming into town. Shipping yards, airports, anything. We need to stop them from getting all the boxes in one place.

Giles: Yes. Yes, well, um, actually, that's quite a good plan.

Buffy: This thing is nasty, and it's real, Giles. We can't wait for it to come get us.

Giles: Right.

Buffy grabs her bag, and she makes tracks for the door.

Cut to outside Spike's warehouse. The camera pans up to a second floor window. Cut inside. Buffy sneaks quietly along the upper level. She looks down at the party going on below. They walk to the railing.

Buffy: I saw this. (Whispers) The party.

The Judge walks into view flanked by Spike with Drusilla following. The Judge stops and senses something.

Spike: What? What is it?

The Judge looks around, then up at Buffy and growls.

She tries to make a run for it, but there are vampires heading them her off on both sides. She is captured. Cut below. Buffy is brought before Spike, Drusilla and the Judge.

Spike: Well, well. Look what we have here. A crasher.

Buffy: I'm sure my invitation just got lost in the mail.

Drusilla: It's delicious. (Licks her fingers)

Judge: The girl.

Drusilla: Chilling, isn't it? She's so full of good intention.

The Judge reaches for Buffy. She looks up and around for a way out of this. Drusilla wraps her arms around Spike and smiles. She sees the chains holding up Spike's video monitors, and gets ready to defend herself. Buffy kicks the Judge in the chest and knocks him back. The Judge comes to a stop beneath the monitors, and Buffy throws at stake to releases them. They crash to the floor on top of the Judge, hard enough to knock a hole in the floor. Buffy jumps down into the sewers below. Cut to the sewers. Buffy rolls away from the hole, and she gets to her feet and start down the tunnels. Cut inside the warehouse. Drusilla gives the order to pursue.

Drusilla: Go!

Two vampires rush to give chase. Cut to the sewers. Buffy pulls a door closed behind her as her two pursuers drop through the hole and start after her. They look around to see where she went, but don't see anyone. They start down the tunnel, checking the side tunnels as they go, and continue past the door. When they've gone by Buffy opens the door and checks if the coast is clear. Seeing no one she steps over to a ladder and starts up. Cut to the surface. She lifts a manhole cover up, pushes it aside and quickly climbs out into the pouring rain. It is a long walk to the library to find dry clothes.