Immortal: the Virtual Series
Episode 2.7: Branching Out
Written by Michelle
Original airdate: April 30, 2005
Episode rating: K+

Part One

Drusilla was swaying to the music of the picture on the wall. It was beautiful. It was showing her the world. A beautiful show.

"Oh so pretty" Drusilla murmured.

"There's nothing there Drusilla. Just cracked plaster" Dylan said from behind her. He came up and stood next to her.

"Can't you see that?" Dru continued to move her head to the music.

"I can see. I see her."

Dylan rolled his eyes to the ceiling; "There are a lot of hers Dru. Care to elaborate?"

"The Slayer. The little ones grow. Oh so cute. So tasty." Dylan froze. He knew whom she was talking about. She should be his. Would be his soon, if he had his way.

"Go out and get something to eat Drusilla. Be back in three hours."

"You're going to her."

"No I'm not."

"Liar. You all go to her. My sweet Spike. And my Angel. And you. She's bewitched you all"

"More than you do Dru" Drusilla turned around to look at him. She came up behind him and purred into his ear. Dylan spun around and grabbed her arms tightly. Drusilla smiled at him.

"Harder"

"Get out. Now." Pushing her aside.

Drusilla whimpered and went to the door. She opened it and walked out into the night. It was overcast and she couldn't see the stars or moon. But then the picture on the wall came back to her and she smiled.

"Fly, pretty angel" and Drusilla went to look for dinner.

--

Dylan didn't acknowledge Drusilla's departure. He was thinking about Buffy. His beautiful girl. In his mind he could see her smile, her soulful eyes. And then he could see her with that tainted moron, Angel. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid. What the hell did she ever see in him?' Dylan clenched hid fists, and then an idea came to him. And he opened the door and went out into the night.

--

Faith leaned against the windowsill of the apartment and took a drag of her cigarette. As she blew out the smoke, she began to think. Not that she really wanted to. She often found herself thinking about things she didn't want to. Like the past. And even some of the present. Her thoughts then turned to Connor, and before she realized it, a smile came upon her face.

"You really should give those up babe" Faith turned around to ace him and took a long, last drag. She ground in into the wooden sill and threw the butt out the window. She smiled seductively at Connor.

"I know. Wanna' come with me?" Connor lifted up some swords and stake to her.

"Take your pick" Faith went closer to him and inspected the weapons in his hand. She picked out one of the sword and took a closer look.

"Too blunt. I'll take the other one"

"Cool" Connor conceded, and put away the not too sharp sword. "So what are we after tonight?"

"Whatever evil gets in our way. Maybe something worth kicking the asses of"

Connor smiled to himself, enjoying Faith's presence. Just seeing her made him believe that life was worth it.

"Quit checking me out"

"Why not? You're hot"

"I know" Connor grinned.

"So, what's the problem?"

"It's screwing with my concentration"

Connor put down the sword and kissed Faith, held her hips and pulling her to him tightly. Faith kissed him back then pulled away after a few hot moments.

"I'd like to think I'm doing that all the time" Connor told her. Faith had that teasing smile of hers on her face.

"Maybe if you did that better, you would be"

"Tease."

Faith laughed and grabbed her sword again, "C'mon. There're things out there that need a good freaking ass kicking from us" Connor felt around for his stake and knife.

"Whom were you hoping we'd run into?" he asked, suddenly serious. Faith was already on the move and didn't answer. Connor shut the door behind him and followed his woman.

Part Two

Buffy and Angel sat on the sofa together, just hanging. Angel was watching Buffy carefully.

"Do you wish you were out there? Being all Slayer like? You must be so bored"

Buffy smiled up at him, "Yeah, I kind of do. But hey, think of it as maternity leave, without pay. I should start a union for slayers."

Angel chuckled slightly at Buffy's wit. "Why do you ask?" Buffy said, shifting herself so that she could face him fully.

Angel shrugged, "I feel like going out there. Something's there Buffy, and I want it gone from here. I feel like fighting. But I also don't want to leave you alone."

Buffy put her hand on Angel's chest. "I don't like that you're going out without me, but I do understand. Go OK? Just promise to come back"

"I will, I swear Buffy"

"Good. And before you go, listen to this." She took his head and pulled it to her belly. Angel could hear three heartbeats. Buffy's and the two little ones. He almost decided to stay, but he remembered that there was something. Something out there was threatening his existence. Buffy and his family. As well as the people he cared about.

--

Dawn was coming down the stairs just as Angel was at the door. She saw Buffy blow him a kiss and Dawn herself waved at him. He waved back and was gone. She sat on the chair across from Buffy, Miss Kitty Fantastico in her lap. She wasn't sure why the cat made her feel different. Dawn wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not, plus the very vivid dreams she was having wasn't exactly giving her much of an answer. But seeing Angel and Buffy gave her a warm feeling. Nice. Dawn looked up to see Buffy staring at her.

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Dawn asked.

"Too much. It's giving me headaches."

Dawn frowned, "Headaches? Are you OK?"

Buffy smiled reassuringly and motioned for her sister to join her on the sofa, "I'm fine. More importantly, are you alright? You haven't been out in a while. Why don't you call up Kathy or something? Or better yet, how about Alex? I don't mind being alone"

Dawn sat down next to Buffy and put down the cat between them; "Trying to get rid of me?" she smiled. "I'm fine. Alex and me are fine, I promise. A little break is good sometimes."

"Just as long as you call him. I don't you turning into a homebody so young."

"Yeah, considering I'm still only a few years old"

Buffy laughed, "And yet, so mature for your age. Are you sure you don't want to go out."

"I'm sure." Buffy held out her hand to the younger Summers girl.

"Here, feel." Dawn gave her hand and Buffy placed it on her tummy. Dawn could feel little kicks. She smiled. She would be an aunt soon. She felt excited.

"I wish Mom were here. She would be so thrilled." Buffy sighed. "Yeah. I'd like to think so."

"Guess it's up to Angel and me to look after you"

"I'm a Slayer Dawn. I can handle being by myself"

"Not in this state. Headaches and god knows what else could happen. You're vulnerable Buff. I'll take care of you this time" Buffy pretended to look offended, then smiled. "Fine, you be the big sister for once." Dawn smirked.

"Me? Look at you, you're big as a house" Buffy threw a cushion at Dawn, but missed as she was already on the move. Miss Kitty startled by the movement, jumped off. Buffy began to feel tired.

"Hey, Dawn, I'm going to take a little nap OK?" Dawn sat down in her original seat and Miss Kitty jumped in her lap again.

"Sure."

"Good. Wake me up soon will you?"

"OK. When?" But Buffy was already asleep and didn't answer. Dawn didn't ask again.

Part Three

Angel walked into Central park. He wasn't entirely sure what had brought him here, but he knew he had to be here. He could see several people in the park and wandered over to a secluded spot in the shrubs and stood, watching. All of a sudden, a familiar scent came upon him and he turned around and saw…Whistler.

"Hey Angel. Good to see you. Hear you've been a busy little vampire lately"

"Whistler? What are you…never mind." Angel took in the sight of what appeared to be Whistler's spirit, and saw that the demon that had kept the balance between good and evil didn't seem to have changed his sense of style, even in death. His loud Hawaiian print shirt clashed terribly with his jeans and new hat. A beret.

"Busy? Yeah I guess you could say that. Hey, I'm sorry about-"

"Don't worry about it. Got a good deal from the Powers. I got to choose."

"Choose what?"

"What side I'd like to work for"

Angel raised his eyebrows at him. "Really? Which side is it?"

"The good of course. Loads of fun and all those pretty Slayers running about. Not a bad job."

"Which job is that exactly?"

"Messenger boy. At least I can't be shot." Whistler joked. Angel didn't react. "OK then. Drusilla's here if you're looking for her" Angel spun around to face him at that.

"How did you? Never mind I have to deal with her" Whistler smiled at Angel "What? No time to catch up? It's been a while." Angel was already moving away.

"Sorry Whistler, maybe later. Tell you what, come by later. I'm sure Buffy would love to see you," he shouted behind him. Whistler shook his head at the vampire.

"Some things don't change. When is that guy going to get rid of that jacket? Gotta change styles sometimes," he said to himself tugging at his shirt, "See you soon Angel"

--

Drusilla licked the blood off her finger delicately. It was fresh, sweet and delicious. She gazed down at her latest victim. A little girl with long dark hair and pale skin. She was wearing a red dress, her blood undetectable on the fabric. Besides her body, in the dirt, a rag doll lay.

"Poor little angel. Fly away now little angel. Spread your little wings." The girl didn't move. Drusilla picked up the doll and held it to her chest, listening to her secrets. "Mummy will fix you up." Dru smiled. "And Daddy will play with us"

"Dru, no." Angel's voice came from behind her. He was staring at the little girl, whose mother was only a few feet away talking with another woman, unaware her daughter was lost to her. Sadness gripped his heart. This was his fault, he knew.

"It's all your fault Angelus, it's true" a man said from the shadows. Angel spun around at the sound of his voice, and before he could see who it was, a dark blast came at him, sending Angel sprawling a fair few feet away on the grass underneath a tree. Angel could hear Drusilla giggling in her mad way.

"Oh, you weren't lying. I didn't see" she sang out.

"Get out of here Drusilla. Go back to Miss Edith" the man said.

"I have a friend for her. I'm so happy. But they might hide secrets from me. Shall you two fight? Oh, I didn't see this. I didn't see the ending"

"Go now Drusilla. Before I kill you myself"

Angel opened his eyes and saw the man a few meters away, Drusilla dancing around him. The man grabbed Dru's arms and flung her away in the opposite direction to Angel. He got up and prepared to fight this new guy. He looked around in their surroundings. People were within seeing distance, but they were far away enough for them to not be noticed in the trees. Several low branches from some of those trees, dangerous for him, but could be useful. He felt around beneath his duster for his dagger. Satisfied it was still there, he began to move.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked his opponent.

"It doesn't matter Angelus."

Angel winced, "It's Angel you moron"

"Never was. Never will be" and the guy disappeared from Angel's vision. He felt another blast at him, so cold, and this time Angel ended up at the bottom of a different tree. The man was in front of him. He broke off one of the offending branches and knelt down to Angel's level, ready to kill.

Part Four

"I wouldn't be doing that now, if I were you" Dylan froze at the sound of the voice behind him. Also at the feel of a remarkably sharp point of a sword at the back of his neck. He turned his head slowly to see the unmistakable look of determination and desire to kill on Faith's face.

"Get up chump" Angel pushed Dylan off him, and the sword nicked him, a spurt of blood coming out Dylan's skin. Angel got up, the smell of fresh blood upon him, and he could sense the evil within. He looked at Faith, who was still watching Dylan. Connor went over to Drusilla's still body. He turned her around so that she was facing him. Her eyes were closed. Connor could see Faith and Angel dealing with Dylan at the corner of his eye. He grabbed his stake out, ready to kill Dru. Her eyes opened and she sat up.

"Dear brother" she waved her fingers in front of him, and then Connor lost the urge to kill, and he wasn't sure why.

"Stay brother. Play with me"

"Connor!" Faith cried out. She kicked Dylan away and ran toward Connor and Drusilla. She fell to the ground as Dylan grabbed her ankle, pulling her down. Angel got on top of him, punching with all his might at him, getting him to let go. And their eyes met.

Dylan mustered all the strength of magic within him and froze Angel and Faith in place, muttering in Latin under his breath. He groggily got up and went over to Drusilla who was still busy with Connor.

"Forget him" Dylan ordered, picking her up and carrying her away. "Useless woman" he muttered to her.

"But he's family" she whispered, and then the sight of his blood perked her up. She licked it off. "Oh lovely, lovely" she sighed.

--

Angel found himself being picked up off the ground. Again. This time, he saw the familiar and welcoming sight of his son's face.

"Are you alright?" he asked Connor.

"Bitch hypnotized him. Damn forgot she did that didn't I? Don't know how since I hear that's how I got to be a Slayer in the first place" Faith put in angrily.

"What?" Connor inquired.

"The Slayer before her was killed by Dru. She hypnotized her then slit her throat"

"Oh" Connor thought about it for a moment before continuing.

"Anyway, I'm OK. She didn't do anything to me. Just called me brother. Freaked me out a bit with that. That's all. What about you Dad? Why aren't you at home with Buffy?" Angel pulled the two of them away from the trees.

"Felt the need to be here. Any of you recognize the guy?" Faith shook her head.

"I don't even remember what he looks like now. Whoever he is, he's got some sort of wicked whammy going on. Bastard." Connor took her hand and squeezed in slightly, willing her to calm down. Faith looked at him and relaxed a bit.

"I still wanna go after him. Too bad we don't know where he went" Angel shook head as well.

"Wherever it is, seems he took Drusilla with him. So she's not alone. That's not good" As Angel watched Connor and Faith, the need to be by Buffy's side grew strong.

"Listen, we'll meet up again later. Regroup and figure this out. I want to go home." Connor gave Angel another look of questioning before nodding in agreement. They all went in the direction of the closest exit, Angel looking back one last time at the lifeless body of Drusilla's innocent victim. He gestured his goodbye at his son and Faith and went back home. To Buffy.

--

"Lisa!" a woman called out. "Get out here this minute. What did I tell you about going where I can't see you?" she walked around before spotting red fabric beneath the tress in the shadows. Just like her little Lisa's dress. She ran, her heart pounding and she found her fear. The form of her daughter, lying there, dead, bringing forth a scream lost in the New York night.