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Chapter 129- A Hole in the World
Buffy turned on the recording. "Let's hope it's not too bad."
A cute yellow and white house was shown and inside, Fred was packing with her parents' help to move from Texas to LA, and while they weren't completely on-board due to some concern, they were still respecting of her decision. Fred also grabbed a stuffed bunny doll called Feigenbaum, so he could meet her junkie-actor friends, and so her mom made her promise to be careful, which she did. "I'm gonna study, mom. I'm gonna learn every damn thing they know up there, and then figure out some stuff they don't. And I'll be careful. I'll even be dull, boring. Cross my heart."
"I think she figured out a lot more than them", Willow shrugged.
"So much the bastard professor sent her to another Dimension", Xander said, sounding a bit angry.
"But she's in a much better place now", Tara told the rest. "Good job, if for evil, good friends, good salary, and a good boyfriend who worships her."
"Yeah, she faced a lot of tragedy with being sent to another Dimension and then learning to live again, but now finally she has been rewarded for all she went through", Buffy said with a smile, happy for Fred.
"Good for her", Dawn agreed.
What they did not know was she was soon going to face a fate far worse than being stuck in Pylea.
In present-day, Fred fought with a flame-thrower, with egg-sacs on the wall. The creatures were squealing as one of them opened up beside her head but Wesley shot it, and she had set the whole place on fire. Fred then explained their biology, Wesley quipping she was trying to turn him on, and they kissed, backlit by the flames.
"So romantic indeed", Buffy said as all chuckled.
"Was he really turned on by that?" Xander wondered.
"I think he was", Giles told him, since he had the same experience with Jenny explaining computers to him.
Angel and Spike then arrived, bickering. Angel had been run through with a sword, a Demon bug dangling on his back where the sword exited. Spike had stabbed him due to the bug being on him, but Angel said Spike could have asked him to turn around, and just like stabbing him, but Spike corrected he liked hitting Angel with blunt instruments. Angel said they'd brought Spike due to feeling sorry for him, and Spike responded without him Angel would be bug food. Fred wanted the bug on Angel's back as a specimen.
The rest chuckled at that once more as Buffy said. "These two really don't change at all, do they?"
"Don't think they will", Willow told her.
"And neither will Fred", Tara added. "Science is so important to her, its like a part of her."
"Yes, it looks like it", Dawn nodded.
Fred was about to change a lot, in ways they couldn't even imagine in their worst dreams.
Knox worked late in the lab when a huge stone sarcophagus was delivered there, and he was confused, as this wasn't for ancient relics, but the invoice had Fred's name, and had already been signed. The deliveryman then walked off.
"Okay, what was that?" Xander asked. "Fred asked for what, a mummy or something?"
"Something doesn't feel right", Giles told them. "This does not seem like something Fred would have delivered to herself."
"Yeah, don't see anything scienc-y about it", Buffy agreed.
"Maybe there is and we can't see it?" Willow asked and suggested both.
"Let's see", Tara shrugged.
Gunn was walking around his office bouncily, singing "Three Little Maids From School Are We" from "The Mikado" by Gilbert and Sullivan, Broadway style with ease. Then he saw Wesley and changed it to rap style as Wesley wondered why Gunn was so cheery, and Gunn said he and Fred were getting back together, making Wes gasp and stare. She had asked him over and they'd talked like old times for hours, and Wes looked down in shock, making Gunn stop as the face would make him weep, and he was just messing with him.
"I knew it!" Dawn said as all of them laughed. "Gunn can be so funny when he wants."
"Or maybe the upgrade made him show that better", Xander shrugged. "And Broadway, wow! He doesn't sing too badly now."
"Yes, it is not irritating to the ears, it is decent", Giles agreed.
"Well, at least they're just messing, and being civilized", Tara pointed out the bright side, since last year they were at each other's throats.
Gunn said he'd a right to get a dig in, and all knew. Wesley asked if Gunn was fine, and he noted Wesley was all civilized now, and assured it was all cool since he and Fred had been done long ago, and he knew how Wesley felt about her, so Wesley thanked him. Gunn then added he'd kill Wes like a chicken if he hurt Fred, which he found acceptable.
"Yes, acceptable terms", Buffy said with a shrug. "And everyone's civilized, nice going."
"Yeah, nice going", Willow nodded.
Soon, Fred would be hurt, but not by Wes, rather Gunn, if unintentionally.
Gunn gave Wesley a report of where Lindsey had been before the Partners had taken him, and Wesley said he should tell Angel, to which Gunn got squirmy and said he wasn't going in there.
"Oh boy!" Buffy said as all groaned.
"So they are at it again", Dawn sighed.
"It's bollocks, Angel! It's your brand of bollocks, from first to last", Spike snapped. "You can't ever see the picture. You can't see any picture!" Angel said with a forced calm tone. "I am talking about something primal, right? Savagery. Brutal animal instinct—" Spike started. "That wins out every time with you. The human race has evolved, Spike!" Angel said, as if he was lecturing a child and wiping his face in frustration. "Into a bunch of namby-pampy, self-analyzing wankers, who could never hope—" Spike started. "There's a thing called 'teamwork.' Not to mention the superstitious terror of your 'aggressions'…" "You want it to be—" "It's not about what I want!" Angel said in frustration.
Everyone was surprised by how angry and frustrated the two sounded at each other.
"What are they fighting about now?" Buffy wondered. "Shanshu, or me? Really don't want any of that."
"Could be the Shanshu, I think", Willow told Buffy. "And both are trying to justify why they deserve it more."
"Or maybe it's about you", Xander shrugged.
"How is human evolution connected to Buffy, or Shanshu?" Tara then asked.
"Well, as humanity evolves, their….activities do as well….." Xander said lamely, and was shot looks. "Hey! Just an observation! I know history too!"
"Just some bits that interest", Dawn said with a smirk as he groaned.
"If it's me, really done with them both now", Buffy scoffed.
"Whatever it is, the two are like children", Giles said, and none disagreed. "Stop fighting, do something useful."
Wesley arrived. "Sorry. Is this something we should all be discussing?" Angel was embarrassed to be caught by Wesley and backed away from Spike. "No." Wesley noted. "It just...sounds a little serious." Angel stuttered. "It was mostly...theoretical. We..." Spike said calmly. "We were just working out a b-" He turned passionate again. "Look, if cavemen and astronauts got into a fight, who would win?" He crossed his arms and looked expectantly at Wes.
The others were silent for half a minute.
"You were yelling at each other over THAT?!" Buffy then snapped.
"Well, at least it's not over you or the Shanshu", Tara told her.
"No, it's not", Buffy agreed. "This is even worse! How immature can you two get?"
"Hey, but it's an interesting question", Dawn told Buffy, only to get a glare. "Just saying'."
"Eh, cavemen win, why is this even a question?" Xander asked. "Come on, Angel! Cavemen take it!"
"Yes, astronauts' technology won't help in a fight, and cavemen are stronger", Willow agreed. "I mean, even the Stone Age Vampires can snap modern Vampires like a twig."
"Why are they yelling about this again though?" Buffy wondered.
"Angel and Spike, what do you expect?" Giles shrugged.
Wesley asked. "Ah. You've been yelling at each other for 40 minutes about this?" Angel looked down, Spike stared at Wes, still expecting an answer. Wesley looked pensive, crossing his arms. "Do the astronauts have weapons?" The Vampires said simultaneously. "No."
"Definitely losing then", Dawn shrugged. "They would have won with modern weapons, but without those, bye-bye astronauts."
"So we are smarter now, but weaker", Tara made the conclusion. "Interesting stuff."
"They are yelling about cavemen and astronauts!" Buffy told her, simultaneously amused and shocked by the immaturity.
"Well, you know 'em", Xander shrugged. "Can get immature."
"Plus, you should be happy Spike supports cavemen, because you once turned Neanderthal", Willow reminded, and now Buffy's eyes widened as she realized Willow had a point.
"I love you, Spike", Buffy immediately said as the rest chuckled at the whole thing.
Fred was inspecting the sarcophagus, and she hadn't bought it either, with Knox helping. She quipped it could be a mummy. Knox then brought up Wesley and assured he was good with it, plus he loved working with her.
"Well, that's good at least", Dawn said, and the rest agreed there. "So, no drama here."
"Thank God", Xander agreed.
Knox exited the lab, leaving Fred there alone to inspect the sarcophagus. She stared at the end of it where the iris was located. She reached out tentatively toward one of the crystals that decorated the surface. Slowly, gently, she touched her fingertips to a purple crystal, and before she could react, the iris opened, letting out a gust of air right into Fred's face. Fred gasped and stepped back, coughing. Knox rushed back into the lab, asking what had happened, and she said there had been air, but she was fine, though it was odd.
"It was mysteriously sent to her lab, and threw air at her, I don't think it was just air", Tara said, eyes narrowed, having a bad feeling about this.
"So, is she gonna become a mummy or something?" Dawn wondered. "Yikes!"
"Oh no! They'll fix it! I'm sure", Buffy said. "If there was anything bad that is."
"Considering it came in mysteriously, there must be something bad", Giles pointed out.
"In that case, hope it's caught soon so Fred doesn't get into any trouble", Willow hoped.
"Yeah, but with all the resources here, I think it won't be much trouble", Xander told the rest.
Spike burst into Angel's office, peeve walking over a chair before sitting on it, annoyed at having been called, and Angel wanted Spike to leave. Not because he hated him, but rather because Lindsey had brought Spike back as a spirit to invest him in this place, and turned him corporeal when he'd gotten attached, which Spike denied. And he didn't have anywhere else to go. Angel said Wolfram and Hart had offices and resources everywhere, and Angel could give Spike anything, and he could go anywhere, but not stay here.
"What do you think?" Xander asked Buffy.
"I think Angel does have a point, Lindsey had a plan", Buffy told him. "And Angel's terms are fair, it's not like he's kicking Spike out and making him a beggar."
"Where do you think Spike will go then?" Willow asked.
"Probably come back to me, if he finds out where I am", Buffy shrugged. "Though it seems like he's liking this helping thing a lot. We do help, but we are more about battling the evil, Angel's team was always more about helping."
"So, what will you do if he doesn't come to you?" Tara asked.
"Nothing", Buffy sighed. "At first, I was mad and angry that he wouldn't come to me, but now I realize, while he and I are the best for each other, there is a lot more to him than just being with me, and he should do that too."
"Makes sense", Dawn nodded.
Fred and Lorne were walking down the hallway engaged in conversation. "But that doesn't make any sense." Lorne shrugged. "I just call it like I see it." Fred pointed out. "But the cavemen have fire. That's what they live with in their caves. The astronauts should at least have some sort of weapon."
"And now everyone's discussing it", Buffy quipped as the rest chuckled.
"Well, she's not wrong, astronauts should have a weapon, I think", Dawn pointed out.
"Unless they are modern weapons though, they lose", Tara added.
"Yeah, because cavemen would still be stronger", Willow agreed.
"Why is this such a serious topic now?" Giles asked, amused and annoyed both.
"Because, uh, Angel and Spike?" Xander asked and all chuckled.
Fred noticed Wesley walking up the stairs toward them. "Hey there." Wesley joked. "I was just on my way to thinking of an excuse to come and see you." Fred smiled. "And how is that working out?" Wesley replied. "Really great. Where are you coming from?" Fred told him. "Oh, medical. I breathed some old mummy dust. Had to make sure I didn't discover any new germs." Wesley was concerned. "You all right?" Fred assured. "They shooed me right off. Mummy free."
"Well, that's good", Xander said. "No one's turning into a mummy."
"So Fred's safe and happy with Wesley", Dawn commented. "Great."
Wesley was relieved. "Good. I was hoping to take you out tomorrow night, and I don't feature you wrapped in bandages." Fred asked. "Take me out where?" She grinned widely. Wesley asked. "Can it be a secret?" "Oh, sheesh", Lorne stepped between them to walk down the stairs. "Get a balcony, you two, huh?" Fred called after Lorne. "You'll still find me for lunch, though, right?" Lorne paused, turning to face her. "I'll just look where the sun shines." He sang the sunshine song as he started down the stairs. Fred turned to Wesley, smiling and singing the song herself. The instant Fred started singing, Lorne stopped in his tracks and turned back to Fred in utter horror etched on his features.
His look was enough to jump-scare the Scoobies as they realized something horrible was about to happen. And from this moment forth, Lorne's horrified face would be one of their haunting memories forever.
A moment later, Fred coughed up blood on Wesley's face and collapsed, falling down the stairs. Lorne caught her, and Wesley rushed to her side as she began convulsing in their arms. "Get medical", Wesley now yelled. "Someone get medical NOW!"
Everyone's heart almost stopped at what they'd just seen.
"So…..something happened", Dawn muttered, stuttering in fear and concern. "To Fred, something-"
"Really bad", Tara realized in horror. "And it came from the sarcophagus."
"Based on Lorne's look, I think it's a lot worse than we imagined", Willow muttered, now everyone deeply concerned about Fred.
"She just coughed up blood, that's horrible, something bad has happened", Xander told the rest.
"Yeah", Buffy nodded, worried sick, since while she didn't know Fred personally, she still liked what she had seen of Fred, and would love to be friends with her. "The others will help her though, I know it, they will find out whatever it is, and save her."
"I know they will", Giles agreed, not knowing that he would be refusing to help her just one recording later due to his ego.
Fred later woke up in the hospital bed, with all the guys and Knox around her. "It's my boys. I haven't had this many big, strapping men at my bedside since that night with the varsity lacrosse team." No one reacted; Fred laughed. "That was a joke."
"You'll be fine, please be fine", Willow requested, hating to see her friend like this. Fred was to Team Angel what she was to the Scoobies.
"She'll be fine", Tara comforted Willow, the two holding hands.
Lorne said she'd given them a scare as Angel asked Fred to take rest, and she joked if she was a mummy, to which Spike said he'd fought a lot of them and none of them were as pretty as Fred. Knox said they were analyzing the sarcophagus and it'd be isolated if it gave her anything. Angel assured it wouldn't take long as Fred reminded. "Handsome man saves me."
"Yeah, we remember", Dawn said, remembering that. "And all of them will again."
Angel told them to get to work, and walked out, with all but Wesley following. "I know you gotta go be book man." Wesley assured. "Yes. Just hit that line—I'll be here in a heartbeat." Fred muttered. "Assuming I still have one." "Hush." Wesley kissed Fred's forehead. Angel and Spike, who were waiting by the door for Wesley, saw Wesley kiss Fred. Angel asked. "Wes and Fred?" Spike asked. "You didn't know?" Angel responded. "I didn't know."
"What do you know?" Xander now wondered. "You didn't know about Gunn and Fred either."
"Come on Fred, don't talk like that, you'll still have a heartbeat", Buffy assured her. "They'll save you, I know they will."
Wesley then walked down the hallway where the rest waited for him, and all walked together. Wesley informed that Fred knew it was bad. Knox informed it was mystical and not theirs, while Wesley added his team was cross-checking the sarcophagus symbols. Angel then finally informed them that some parasitic agent was working its way through Fred's body, so her organs were cooking, and in a day's time, they'd liquify.
"No!" Willow snapped, everyone else looking horrified and shocked. "That can't happen! It won't happen!"
"They won't let it", Tara assured, knowing how concerned Willow was for her friend. "They won't let it."
"A day's time", Xander muttered, and absorbed what Angel had just said. "Oh boy!"
"They are all working on it, it won't happen", Buffy tried to assure. "I mean, they are all working on it, everyone has an area of expertise, together they'll figure it out."
"They have to", Dawn said. "For Fred."
"They should, Fred being in danger will make them work more efficiently", Giles said. "They will save her before it can happen."
"Please do", Willow begged, thinking about how painful a death Fred would have if not saved.
Spike looked horrified, then determined. "No. Not this girl. Not this day."
"Spike", Buffy had a slight smile of pride at how much he wanted to save Fred, before her expression turned normal again.
Knox pointed out the sarcophagus had just shown up with no return address, and he didn't recognize the delivery man either, plus it was in the middle of the night. Angel agreed it was deliberate, and Lorne wondered if it was the Senior Partners, so Gunn decided to go to the White Room to talk to the conduit. Spike reminded about Lindsey, with Lorne deciding to go with Angel to his address. "I'll say it anyway. Winifred Burkle. Go." All headed off in separate directions.
"Yeah, it could be any of them", Buffy agreed. "Especially Eve, she was with Lindsey, she'd want revenge."
"Has to be her, don't think the Senior Partners would harm Fred as long as she's on their side", Tara agreed. "Since that would turn the team against them."
"So, Eve, oh you're so gonna pay", Dawn snarled angrily, hoping Fred was saved and Eve paid for it.
"But why Fred though?" Willow wondered. "Why Fred specifically? Imagine she'd want revenge on Angel or Spike specifically, or Cordelia, but she's gone, so maybe Harmony, for slapping her, Fred didn't do that much to her in comparison."
"You've got a point", Xander agreed. "But still think she's the prime candidate."
"We're about to find out", Giles noted.
Fred was twitching on her bed, a saline drip attached to her as her skin turned into a splotchy greyish tone.
No one commented, but were all horrified and saddened by Fred's condition, she did nothing to deserve this, the others had to save her.
Wesley was researching on his desk when a lawyer arrived, saying he needed to know if the Holbine Clan History was here, since it had to be faxed to his office. Wesley said it could wait but the lawyer told him these guys were important and the whole company couldn't work Miss Burkle's case. "Of course", Wesley pulled out a gun and shot his knee, making him scream in agony as a secretary rushed to see the commotion. Wesley told her to send anyone else not working on Fred's case to him.
Everyone cringed at that, finding it a bit too dark and even barbaric, though the lawyer was being insensitive.
"Was that necessary?" Dawn wondered, now a bit scared of Wesley.
"Wesley reacts emotionally a lot, so I can see why he reacted like this", Willow noted sadly.
"Fred's condition is sending him into a dark place", Tara pointed out. "He'll do anything to save her."
"So basically, she brings out the best and worst in him", Buffy sighed, realizing this relationship wasn't that different from the one with Lilah in that case.
"Not necessary, true, but the CEO did order the company to work her case, so he isn't following", Giles pointed out to the rest.
"Yeah, plus this company literally fires employees, so questioning a higher-up is stupid", Xander added. "The lawyer didn't deserve to be shot, probably, if he wasn't as evil as the rest or anything, but he acted like an idiot and paid for it."
No one could disagree there, with how well Xander had laid it out, though they still felt bad to see Wesley (and worse for Fred) in this state.
"Just hope it doesn't get as bad as Connor and Justine", Willow reminded.
"They will save Fred, so it won't", Buffy assured, though she wasn't sure who she was assuring.
Gunn was in the White Room, calling out for the conduit, and now it appeared in Gunn's form, saying its form was determined by the mirror. The conduit was angry with Gunn now, and punched him, sending him flying off, saying the Partners were tired of Gunn's insolence and weren't here for his convenience. Gunn said they could make a deal, and he'd give his life in Fred's exchange, but the conduit laughed he already had Gunn's life as he punched him repeatedly.
They were even more horrified now as Buffy muttered. "This is bad."
"So now the Partners and conduit are done too, no help from them", Willow sighed. "Like, they want Angel's team on their side without giving anything in return."
"And they will deal out very bad consequences if not followed, so they have the upper hand", Tara said sadly.
"We still have Eve left to go, if she did anything, she'll know how to fix it", Dawn pointed out.
"And if she doesn't want to, they can just make her", Xander shrugged.
Angel, Spike and Lorne arrived at Eve's place, who was wearing a man's button-up dress shirt, and clutched the sheets while recoiling at their sight. Angel then told her of Fred's condition but she claimed ignorance, then Spike suggested Lindsey would be up to this and she could know. Eve then asked about Lindsey instead and said they wouldn't do anything to Fred, or even care about her. Lorne then decked her, knocking her down. "Ooh. Oh, I'm sorry. That was a knuckle-buster. I'm Jake LaMotta over here. It's pathetic. Oh", he leaned in close to Eve. "Here's the thing, Eve: You're going to sing for me, and I'm going to read you right now. And here's one more thing: Winifred Burkle once told me after a sinful amount of Chinese food, and in lieu of absolutely nothing, "I think a lot of people would choose to be green. Your shade, if they had the choice." If I hear one note—one quarter-note—that tells me you had any involvement, these two won't even have time to kill you." He stood. "Oh, and anything by Diana Warren will also result in your death—well, except "Rhythm of the Night.""
"Whoa!" Dawn said, this being the first time they'd seen Lorne this angry, or even violent, since whenever he'd fought before, it was always in defense, this time he'd punched someone.
"Lorne cares a lot about Fred", Tara noted. "If you can make him this angry, well, I feel bad for you."
"If she did it, she deserved it, if she didn't do it, she still deserved it", Willow shrugged.
"But if not her, then who?" Buffy wondered.
"Let's just see if it is her or not first", Giles counseled.
Eve sang the same song as Lindsey had in Caritas back in the day. Lorne said she was clean, and he could be wrong, but she read clean, though her future wasn't too bright. Eve was surprised as Lorne made some sarcastic comments. Eve asked if they'd tell the Senior Partners where she was, and Spike agreed it'd be a good bargaining chip, but she said. "No, they can't help you. I mean it. If you're talking about a sarcophagus that doesn't match anything in our records...there's nothing that's not in our records except what came before. The Old Ones."
"Old Ones", Giles said in horror. "Oh dear Lord."
"I remember you mentioned them once, original Demons, right?" Buffy asked and he nodded.
"And really powerful too, not ones to be messed with", Willow added grimly. "Plus what the Mayor turned into was an Old One, and also that thing inside the Hellmouth we sealed. And they were the weak ones."
"If something like that is involved, this went from worst to whatever is worse than that", Tara realized sadly.
"Well, crap!" Xander said.
"They can still stop it", Dawn both said and hoped.
Angel knew of them. "The original Demons. Before human kind. They were all driven out of this dimension." Eve explained. "The ones that were still alive. But long before that, they were killing each other all the time, and they don't die the way we do. Wesley may not know it, but his source books can conjure up anything, not just our own stock. Tell him to look for the texts that are forgotten, the oldest scrolls. You need to find the Deeper Well."
"Well, at least she helped here", Xander said. "Don't like her, but she did."
"Yeah, don't think it was her to be honest", Willow agreed.
"Who could it be then?" Dawn wondered.
"Whoever it was, Fred first, please save her", Tara begged.
Later, Wesley briefed the gang about his research. "It's called Illyria, a great monarch and warrior of the Demon age murdered by rivals and left adrift in the Deeper Well." Angel asked. "Which is what?" Wesley revealed. "A burial ground, a resting place of all the remaining Old Ones." Gunn pointed out. "This one ain't restin'." "No", Wesley agreed before revealing. "I don't think this is merely an infection. Fred's skin is...hardening like a shell. I think she's being hollowed out so this thing can use her to gestate, to claw its way back into the world. That's speculation. Either way, she dies."
That horrified them once more as Buffy realized. "So Fred dies and…."
"An Old One returns", Tara finished for her, all of them having a sinking feeling.
"No", Willow whispered in horror and denial. "No, please don't do that to Fred, please."
She was almost in tears now as both Tara and Xander had to embrace her for comfort.
"Come on, Team Angel", Buffy urged. "You can save her."
"Only they can", Dawn agreed. "Now it's up to them."
"They are on their own", Giles sighed.
Wesley revealed the Deeper Well's location too as Lorne asked Harmony to prep the jets, they could reach in 10 hours, but Knox arrived and said it'd be 4. Wesley said there could be a guardian or more than one, but Spike was determined. Wesley explained to Gunn that something that got out could be drawn back in, so that was their shot. Lorne decided to pray, and Spike said nobody was on their side. "Come on. Let's save the day", Angel said as he and Spike walked out.
"Save Fred, save the day, stop an Old One from rising", Buffy counted. "They have to do it, too much is at stake now."
"Yes, quite a lot I agree", Giles nodded. "Especially since its an Old One, that must not be ignored."
He had no idea how ironic what he had just said was.
Fred was squirming in her bed before her eyes opened. Wesley later arrived at her hospital bed to find it empty, as Fred was stumbling in the lab. Wesley tried to stop her but she wanted to work. "I am not—I am not the damsel in distress. I am not some case. I have to work this. I lived in a cave for 5 years in a world where they killed my kind like cattle. I am not going to be cut down by some monster flu. I am better than that!" She softly said. "But I wonder... how very scared I am." She looked away.
"It's okay to be scared", Tara assured. "And don't worry, you won't be cut down by this, now please lie down."
"Yeah, you can't work properly like this, no matter how much you want to", Willow agreed. "Just let them help you."
"Angel and Spike are on their way, they should do it", Buffy agreed, though all felt bad for what Fred was going through, while admiring her strength.
Wesley assured. "I swear on my life, we will stop this, but you must be back in bed. That's where I need you to fight." "Like I'm 6 years old?" Fred collapsed, but Wesley was there to catch her. "This is a house of death." Wesley stood her up and held her; she looked over his shoulder to the source book he brought with him. "That can call up any book you need?" "Everyone." Fred requested. "Then bring it. Take me home." Fred's apartment was cozy, decorated with homey attributes as Wesley carried Fred gently in his arms and put her on the bed.
"At least she's resting now", Dawn said, though she wasn't going to sigh in relief. "Angel and Spike shall save her, I know it."
"Yeah, they are going to do it", Xander of all people agreed, since now he trusted both the Vampires a lot, and knew how much they cared for people, especially their own.
Spike and Angel were sitting on either side of the aisle of a private jet. Angel was gripping the armrests, and Spike was obsessively fingering his seatbelt. Spike sighed and crossed his arms. "I've never flown before." "I've been in a helicopter. They don't..." Angel looked nervously out the window, "go this high." Spike noted then suggested. "Back to the mother country. Hey, after we save Fred, we should hit the West End, take in a show." Angel told him. "I've never seen Les Mis." Spike scoffed. "Trust me, half way through the first act, you'll be drinking humans again." Angel sighed. "Can't lose her, Spike." Spike assured. "We won't." Angel remembered. "I lost Cordy."
The reminder of Cordelia's death was still a stab in their hearts, considering what she had gone through before her death. She too had been possessed by a higher and ancient being, and made to do things she'd never ever do.
"Don't lose Fred, please", Buffy requested, not wanting her to die the same way as Cordelia, that too so soon after her death.
The rest watched sadly and silently.
Gunn was talking on phone, trying to get more help, but failed as Knox arrived and suggested they could freeze Fred to stop the thing in its tracks till they got something.
"That can work", Willow said, now sounding hopeful. "That is a good idea."
"Hope it works then", Tara sighed.
Wesley was paging through the book when Fred woke up, being told she had slept for an hour. She then sat up anxiously, mentioning Feigenbaum, and she had to find him since he was the master of something, but she couldn't remember, and started crying as Wesley hugged her for comfort.
"She doesn't remember", Dawn muttered, looking like she was going to cry herself, as a grim and sad-looking Buffy wrapped an arm around her, while Tara did the same from the other end.
"Save her", Buffy whispered.
Fred noted she was worried about her looks as Wesley called her the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She wondered if he liked splotchy girls and he called it his curse. She wanted Wesley to read to her, so he eventually started reading from 'A Little Princess (1909)' by Frances Hodgson Burnett. "She was such a little girl that one did not expect to see such a look on her small face. It would have been an old look for a child of twelve, and Sara Crewe was only seven. The fact was, however, that she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember any time when she had not been thinking things about grown-up people and the world they belonged to. She felt as if she had lived a long, long time."
"He is so sweet", Dawn now whispered with a sad but teary smile at how Wesley was trying to comfort Fred in a moment like this.
The others were too pained to make a comment about what they were seeing. So was Dawn, but she expressed her pain with her comment.
Spike and Angel walked through a grove of trees in the foggy moonlight as Spike asked. "When is a door not a door? When it's not soddin'-well there." "Right there", Angel looked at a large tree. "You wanna bet that's the entrance to the Deeper Well?" Spike quipped. "Either that, or Christmasland. Do you ever have any fun?" In a flash of light, armored men wielding swords rushed out of the tree, growling. Angel replied. "I'm about to." Spike commented. "And they even brought us weapons. Strategy?" Angel ordered. "Just hold my hand."
The concern over Fred momentarily forgotten, everyone raised their eyebrows.
"So, Angel wants to hold hands in a moment like this?" Xander asked.
"Well, seems like it's part of a strategy", Tara pointed out.
"Weird strategy", Willow said before looking at Buffy. "Bet you're gonna love this."
Buffy shot her a mock offended look and Willow looked away as they continued watching.
Spike raised an eyebrow, but reached out to take Angel's hand, nodding. "St. Petersburg." Angel shrugged. "Thought you'd forgotten." Angel and Spike let go of each other's hands, dropping a length of wire between them. As the armored creatures approached, Spike and Angel stepped apart and pulled the wire taut. The demons ran into the wire, getting clotheslined by it, cutting off their heads.
"Okay, that was a cool one", Xander said, no one disagreeing.
"Me and Faith should try this", Buffy commented.
"Yes, clearly, they have tried ways of fighting we never have", Giles agreed.
Angel and Spike took the swords from the first demons and used them to fight off the next group of demons coming at them, taking them down. More arrived but Angel and Spike decked, stabbed and sliced each of them.
"Come on, come on", Willow was begging, since time was running out.
"They will do it", Buffy said again.
At the lab, Knox was frustrated as freezing won't work, because while it would freeze the blood tissue, the parasite would still work.
Everyone's hearts sank as Dawn said. "Angel, Spike, work really, really, really fast!"
Gunn noted. "OK, so that's a bust. What else you got?" "I don't, um—" Knox took off his work gloves. "God, I can't think, I'm so nervous." He sat. "Look, I'd never tell her this, but I—I care about Fred more than— She's like no one I've met, you know?" Gunn sat across from Knox. "I do." Knox continued. "And nothing would make me happier than to be the White Knight in this situation and to have her look at me the way that... I mean, I don't just care about Fred, I practically worship it." Gunn now quizzically looked at Knox. "You said, "It."" Knox asked. "What?" Gunn pointed out. "Not "her." You said, "I worship it."" Knox gave a smirk as he realized his error. "Oops."
Now everyone realized who was behind it.
"It was you!" Dawn snapped, now pointing at him with a glare that would have burnt the TV over 10 times if looks could kill. "You did this, you sicko!"
"So what, he couldn't have Fred so he wants to kill her?" Xander wondered.
"Not a psycho stalker, psycho all the way then", Tara realized, now having narrowed eyes, remembering how she'd felt something off about him ever since he'd mentioned the Lord Krishna incident. "I knew there was something wrong with him."
"You thought it would be this bad?" Buffy asked.
"No, not this bad", Tara confessed.
"Oh you little bastard, you are going to pay for this", Willow snarled, shaking in rage at what Knox was putting her friend through.
"Sick bastard", Giles snarled. "But if he went this far, that means….."
"What?" Buffy asked.
"He is worshipper of Illyria", Tara realized and finished both.
"Oh no!" Xander realized.
Angel and Spike took down more Demons effortlessly. When they finished off the last two, Angel called out to the sky. "Is that all? We haven't even started!"
"There's no time!" Dawn snapped.
A man appeared at the tree gateway and walked out toward Angel. "I'd say that's enough." "Drogyn", Angel recognized him. "Angel", Drogyn greeted back. Angel noted. "You're the keeper of the well." Drogyn nodded curtly. "Have been for decades." Spike started. "Well, who in the bloody—" "Do not ask me a question", Drogyn was up in Spike's face. "If you ever ask me a single question, I will kill you outright. Don't think for a moment that I can't." Angel agreed. "He can. He would." Spike wondered. "Eh?"
"So Angel knows the Keeper, that will make this easier", Buffy noted.
"Yeah, especially since Illyria should be kept in", Tara added. "So he has every reason to help."
Drogyn noted. "You're here about Illyria." Angel nodded. "Yes." Drogyn gestured. "Walk in." Spike started. "But how—?" Drogyn was angry. "I just said to you, not one moment ago, don't ask." He walked to the tree. Angel told Spike. "Seriously. He doesn't like questions." Spike asked. "Why the bloody hell not?" Angel revealed. "He can't lie."
"Well, that's new", Xander commented. Under other circumstances, they'd have joked that everyone should tell him secrets so that others could pester him for answers.
"I do know some things about the Deeper Well", Giles told the rest. "I would have told them about it if they asked me." [1]
Gunn grabbed Knox by the lapels and slammed him into a lab desk, breaking glass. "You did this. You did all of this!" Knox grinned. "Technically, that's not the case. I just played my part."
"Same meaning, you asshat!" Buffy snapped angrily, wanting to beat the crap out of him. He shared his face with Holden Webster, a Vampire, yet Webster was a much better person than Knox was.
More proof that humans were sicker than Demons in some cases.
Gunn asked. "Why? You couldn't stand the thought of Wes winning her, so you kill her?" Knox pushed Gunn off of him and backed away. "No, I meant everything I said about her. I chose Fred because I love her, because she's worthy. You think I'd have my God hatched out of some schmuck?" Gunn started. "What are y-" Knox revealed. "This was all set in motion millions of years ago, Charles, and there's just no way to stop it."
"So you chose her because you love her", Willow snarled, digging her fingernails into her palms, wanting to make him suffer, then skin him alive like she had done to Warren. "You bastard."
"He is delusional and a worshipper of an Old One", Tara said, eyes narrowed. "He has been planning this for a good while."
"As long as Fred's saved and he gets his, I'm good", Dawn snarled.
Gunn looked down. "Angel and Spike." Knox replied. "Oh, they're really on track, but it doesn't matter. Angel's not gonna save her." Gunn declared. "You don't know Angel." Knox revealed. "I'm not being clear. I don't mean that Angel's gonna fail to save her, I mean he's gonna let her die."
"What the hell are you talking about, you moron?" Xander asked. "Why would he let her die? He is not unreasonable. He is a good guy!"
Giles couldn't remember every single detail about the Well right now, probably old age, but if he remembered, he'd know exactly why.
"He is a delusional idiot, that's why he's saying this", Buffy said.
Fred asked. "Would you read to me some more?" "Of course", Wesley started to get up, but Fred distracted him, looking at a light over her head. "The light...hurts my eyes, but I don't want you to turn it off. But it hurts my eyes. Everything's so bright and hollow. Cave men win. Of course the cave men win."
No one could comment, the sight of Fred weak, fumbling and forgetting almost reducing them to tears at what she was going through.
It was painful, and she would be killed and taken over by Illyria if not saved.
Drogyn lead the way into the Deeper Well holding a torch. Angel and Spike followed in the firelight. "I would never have thought you'd end up here, Angel." Angel replied. "I could say the same." "So, you two know each other." Drogyn glared at Spike. "That was a statement. I already know that you do." Drogyn told them. "I'll tell you as much as I can. The Old Ones were Demons pure. They warred as we would breathe—endlessly. The greater ones were interred, for death was not always their end. Illyria was feared and beloved as few are. It was laid to death in the very depths of the well... until it disappeared a month ago." Spike told him. "Someone took it from under your nose a month ago, and you didn't miss it 'til now? That makes you quite the crap jailer, doesn't it." Drogyn glared again. "Also a statement."
"He's not wrong, someone stole it from under your nose and now Fred is dying slowly and painfully!" Dawn snapped. "Instead of talking, go save her!"
"Yeah, I don't care a bit about Illyria, I care about Fred, and she needs saving", Willow nodded firmly.
Drogyn stopped walking and told Angel. "Your friend likes to talk." Angel replied. "So much, he's even right sometimes. The man I remember couldn't be stolen from so easily." Drogyn then revealed. "The tomb was not stolen. It disappeared. I believe it was pre-destined to as part of Illyria's escape plan. And as for my not noticing", he extinguished his torch in a tub of water at the entrance of another chamber, "well, my charges are not few." Spike and Angel had followed Drogyn into the chamber. They were standing on a bridge. When they looked over to see what the bridge spanned, they saw an endless pit lined with thousands of coffins just like the sarcophagus delivered to Wolfram & Hart. Spike realized. "Bloody hell."
"Well, sorry", Dawn said to Drogyn lamely, realizing it would be easy to miss this way, especially if it had disappeared.
"So it was somehow magically taken away from there to Wolfram and Hart", Tara said in realization. "Knox planned it all along."
"Bastard", Buffy snarled.
Angel asked. "How far does this go down?" Drogyn revealed. "All the way. All the way through the Earth." Angel pointed out. "So, the coffin disappeared, teleported, but it was brought to us." Drogyn said. "Illyria was a great power—so great that, after millions of years dead, somewhere on this Earth still has acolytes."
"Like the Knox bastard", Xander snarled, wanting to go and beat him down for what he had done, and he wasn't the only one.
A smiling and excited Knox backed away, walking around the room, keeping himself more than arm's length away from Gunn. Gunn glared at Knox. "There's only a few of us now. I came to L.A. because I knew that's where its kingdom has been. It was supposed to teleport back to the base of its power, but the continents drifted—which they do. I had others help me get it here, but then it got stuck in—would you believe it—customs." He took a paper out of his pocket; unfolded it; holding it out to Gunn. "But you took care of that. You signed the order to bring it into the lab so you could get another brain boost." Gunn stumbled back, looking away, disgusted. "It's like I said, I'm just one small part of a great machine."
Now their horror and shock just increased.
"Gunn signed it, without realizing what it was", Willow said in realization, feeling sad, angry, horrified, disappointed and understanding all at once.
"Now Fred's paying the price", Dawn sighed, not really having it in her to hate Gunn, since she'd seen he was desperate.
"He should have read the fine print too", Xander said, not hatefully, rather neutrally.
"Yeah, he too made a deal with the devil without realizing it, the price was Fred", Tara said grimly.
"That doctor there, he must be Illyria's worshipper too", Buffy then said as all realized it was true.
"All of them planned this, give Gunn the implant, make him lose it so he would get desperate, and have him sign the customs release form to get Illyria here with Fred", Giles said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his head as the seriousness of it all dawned on them, and then he put them back on. "Bloody hell!"
Gunn said again. "Angel's gonna save her." Knox told him. "What he's fighting against is older than the concept of time. I couldn't stop it. There's nothing left to do now, but wait." Gunn put his hand on a metal canister. "Wait and try and figure out exactly what you want to tell your—" Gunn swung the metal canister at Knox's head, knocking him out cold. As Knox lay on the ground, unconscious, Gunn stood over him with the canister in mid-motion for a final swing. Gunn paused, pondered, looking around, then completed the motion.
"Just do it, he deserves it", Dawn scoffed.
"Only reason I'd keep him alive is to prolong his suffering, make him suffer like Fred did", Xander said with a snarl.
At this point, not even Buffy objected.
Wesley frantically unwrapped a pre-packaged hypodermic syringe. He sat beside a writhing, convulsing Fred and tried to inject her, but the needle couldn't penetrate her skin. Fred was in a feverish delirium. "Oh, God! I sinned. I've sinned, and I'm being punished. I don't know what's wrong. I never got a B- before. Uhh! Sorry. I'm sorry. Make it stop!" Wesley, watching her writhe, held his hand to his mouth as his inability to help her brought him to tears.
And it brought the whole group to tears too, Fred's death was literally the most painful kind of death they were witnessing, she didn't deserve this, not even a slight bit of it.
She was supposed to go out with Wesley to wherever he was taking her, they were supposed to be happy together.
Not this!
Drogyn turned to Spike and Angel in alarm. "It's been freed—the demon's essence." "Yeah, it's been freed. Why do you think we're here?" Drogyn glared at Spike, who went into a tirade, unabashedly hurling questions at Drogyn. "And what's your favorite color? What's your favorite song? Who's the goalkeeper for Manchester United? And how many fingers am I holdin' up?" Spike held up his index and middle fingers in a rude gesture. "You wanna kill me? Try. But I don't have time for your quirks."
"Me neither", Buffy agreed. "Just help her, and be done with it."
Drogyn looked at Angel. "The power to draw back Illyria lies in there. It requires a champion who has traveled from where it lies to where it belongs." Angel pointed out. "You got two of those right here." "But I didn't know it was free", Drogyn looked down, sighing. "If we bring the sarcophagus back to the well, it will draw Illyria out of your friend...and into every single person between here and there. It will become the mystical equivalent of airborne. It will claw into every soul in its path to keep from being trapped. Entire cities—tens maybe hundreds of thousands will die in agony if you save her." Spike and Angel looked floored.
The Scoobies looked floored as well.
"Bloody hell, he is right", Giles realized in horror. "He is telling the truth, Illyria will enter every single person in the path."
"Which means everyone from LA to here", Buffy said, putting a hand to her mouth.
"If drawn out of Fred", Willow sighed, now realizing what Knox meant, he clearly had planned this through.
"No, there has to be a way! There has to be!" Dawn now burst into tears, as Tara held her, rubbing her back, trying to offer comfort.
"Knox you bastard!" Xander snarled, looking like he was going to punch a wall again, this time by imagining Knox's face.
"No", Angel walked to the edge of the bridge to look down into the well. Spike said. "That's madness." "This is a place of madness. I'll prepare the spell. Your choice." Drogyn walked away. Spike looked down from the other side of the bridge. "To hell with the world." Angel followed Drogyn.
"Fred will be saved, but the others, not so much", Giles muttered, and the implications were clear. If they saved Fred, millions of people would die in the process.
As much as they didn't want to admit it, the choice was clear.
"Oh Goddess!" Tara realized, now having tears of her own, while still trying to comfort Dawn, and the others looked like they would follow soon.
In her apartment, still weak, but seemingly more lucid now, Fred lay in her bed talking to Wesley who was sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. "Why did we go there? Why did we think we could beat it? It's evil, Wesley. It's bigger than anything." Wesley leaned in closer. "I don't believe that." Fred backed up toward the headboard, panicked. "Uggh!" She pointed to Wes. "I'm with him!" She cried. "He won't leave me now. We're so close." Wesley assured. "I will never leave you." "Hmph. Oh. Hmm", Fred panted. "That was bad, but it's better now. You won't leave me?" Wesley kneeled in front of her. "I won't." Fred whispered. "My boys. I walk with heroes. Think about that." Wesley was crying, trying to hold himself together. "You are one."
"Yes", Willow agreed with a nod. "You are. Big one."
"Superhero. And this is my power: to not let them take me. Not me", Fred panted and cried. Wesley sat beside her. "That's right." "That's right", Fred laced her fingers through his. "He's with me."
"That's right, he is, he will always be", Buffy said, trying to comfort both Fred and herself. "Always. Forever."
While she was rambling, close to tears, the others were silent, and just watched sadly, knowing now what will happen.
Fred couldn't be saved.
Angel turned around to see Spike was still looking down the well. "Spike..." Spike told him. "This goes all the way through to the other side. So, I figure, there's a bloke somewhere around New Zealand standing on a bridge like this one, looking back down at us. All the way down. There's a hole in the world. Feels like we ought to have known."
"Damn it!" Xander snapped. "Why? Why did this have to happen? Why is there no other way? Come on, there has to be!"
"There isn't", Giles whispered, rubbing his forehead, trying to control himself too.
"No", Dawn whispered in between her cries.
Wesley was sitting on the bed, holding Fred in his arms. She was sitting beside him with her arms around his neck. "Will you kiss me?" Wesley kissed Fred on the lips tenderly and passionately. Fred pulled back, looking down. "Would you have loved me?" Wesley confessed to her. "I've loved you since I've known you. No, that's not—I think maybe even before." Fred leaned her forehead against his. "I'm so sorry." "No, no, no." Fred choked on her coughs, crying. "I need you to talk to my parents. They have to know I wasn't scared, that it was quick. That I wasn't scared."
"You weren't", Buffy agreed in a whisper, admiring Fred's strength and bravery, but feeling like crying at her impending doom.
The others also knew it was coming, and silently watched, now having no choice but to wait for it.
Fred started convulsing. "Oh, God." Wesley grabbed her, looking into her eyes. "You have to fight. You don't have to talk, just concentrate on fighting. Just hold on." Fred was holding onto Wesley's shoulders, looking into his eyes, quivering. "I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm not scared." Her grip softened, she couldn't hold herself up. "Please, Wesley, why can't I stay?" She went still as Wesley held her in his arms.
"Oh God!" Buffy said, now finally letting her tears out as she put her head in her hands, crying over Fred.
"Fred…" Willow trailed off, crying herself as she put her head over Tara's shoulder, needing comfort, and Tara stroked her head with her other hand.
Dawn's crying had turned into sobbing by now, and Tara was trying to comfort her too, while crying herself.
Xander was shaking in anger, while tears dropped down his eye too, and he kept wiping them, but more kept coming.
Giles was staring ahead at the screen in shock, disbelief and sadness, feeling his eyes water up as well over what Fred had gone through just because Knox wanted to resurrect Illyria. Taking off his glasses, he started wiping his eyes.
Wesley looked at her. "Please..." He hugged her. "Please..." As Wesley hugged Fred's limp body to his and sobbed, Fred's eyes changed into a crystal blue. Fred started twitching and kicked her body away from Wesley so hard that it sent him across the room and pushed her to the floor.
In between their tears, the Scoobies felt some anger as they realized the reason for Fred's demise was now coming to life.
On the floor, Fred's body convulsed as Wesley watched in horror from across the room. Finally, Fred stood, but her hair, eyes, and the edges of her face were royal blue. Fred, looking quite possessed, looked down at her arm and hand to examine it, flexing her fingers. It was Illyria! "This will do." The screen went black.
"Illyria", Giles whispered in horror and anger, everyone glaring at the screen in anger, sadness and disbelief.
"I mean, the thing just possessed her, right? She can still come back", Dawn said, trying to latch onto any lifeline offered.
The others did not respond, just looking like they had lost someone dear to them. In Willow's case, she had, and the rest too, since they knew Fred quite well from the recordings, and knew she was a kind-hearted and good person who deserved the best.
Not the most painful death that she had gotten.
"Only one way to find out", Buffy finally said, coming to the next recording.
Well, this was as hard as 'You're Welcome', if not harder. Poor Fred, and poor Wesley, and poor everyone really.
Fuck Knox!
Expect Giles to be decked in the next episode.
[1] Originally, Giles was supposed to explain the Deeper Well to Angel and Spike but Anthony was unavailable so they created the character of Drogyn who could not lie. And Joss Whedon got petty again over Anthony not being available and ruined Giles in next episode like the douche he is.
Hope all enjoyed (or not) and see you all next time with another chapter.