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Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Thank you to Bl4ckHunter for providing the reactions for Giles refusing to help.
Hope all enjoy it.
Chapter 130- Shells
Before Buffy could put on the next recording, the future Scoobies entered, and based on their expressions, the future Scoobies could tell what their past selves had seen.
They sat down as Summers told them. "We're sorry."
"So, any reason you want to watch this with us?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, just turn it on", Rosenberg said. "Do it."
Buffy wiped some tears, then did as told.
Wesley stood, his face full of hope. "Fred?" Illyria walked past Wesley toward the mirror, ignoring him. Wesley's countenance slumped. "Illyria?" Illyria turned away from the mirror to face Wesley. "My name..." She approached him. "You would presume to speak my name..." Wes backed away slowly as she approached. "Because I have returned in the body of the human, you think you can speak to me. It's disgusting."
"You know what else is disgusting? You killing Fred and walking around in her body", Dawnster snarled angrily.
"It is so…strange", Tara said, since it was Fred's body walking and talking, but Fred wasn't pulling the strings anymore.
"It is about to get stranger", Maclay warned her.
Wesley asked. "Who is Winifred Burkle?" "I thought the humans would have long died out by now", Illyria looked him up and down. "Instead, you've grown bold." Wesley was quivering with rage. "So you don't know who Fred is." "Nor care. Bleat at me no longer. We're done", she rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. "Yes..." Wesley bent to pick up a battle-axe, "we are." He swung it at Illyria's neck.
"You don't care, she died for you to live and you don't care?" Willow snapped. "You're the disgusting one."
"And she is too full of herself to realize that", Buffy added angrily.
The future Scoobies would defend Illyria, considering what was going on now, but since the past Scoobies had just seen Illyria 'murder' Fred and then act callously, it made perfect sense why they hated her.
The blade shattered with a loud, metallic clank when it contacted Illyria's skin; she didn't even flinch. "Oh... now I remember", she looked at her body. "Winifred Burkle is the shell I'm in." Wesley tearfully sat on the edge of Fred's bed. "She's the woman you killed." Illyria turned to face Wesley. "This is grief. I'm watching human grief. It's like offal in my mouth."
"You are the offal to us", Giles sneered.
"Yeah, lot of offal to go around", Dawn agreed, wondering how everyone would react to Giles' actions in this recording.
Wesley looked up at her, his eyes widening with hope once again as he stood. "If you stay here, you'll taste it every day, every second." He walked to the window. "Look. Humans rule the Earth." Illyria moved quickly to the window, concerned. "They will last for millennia... like roaches crawling everywhere." He moved to stand behind her, whispering in her ear. "Crying and sweating and puking their feelings all over you." Illyria hung her head. "Go back. Sleep until the humans are gone. They are stupid and weak. They'll kill each other off and you can return to the world you deserve." He held his hand to her shoulder, nearly touching it. "Leave this shell."
"Is it going to work?" Dawnster asked hopefully.
"Not in the way he wants", Harris warned her grimly.
"Is this what you wanted to warn us about?" Buffy then asked.
"Part of it", Summers said cryptically.
Illyria turned on Wesley with a start. "You seek to save what's rotted through. This carcass is bound to me. I could not change that if I cared to, but you have opened my eyes to truth. If the world is truly overrun by humans..." she put her hand on Wes's chest and effortlessly thrust him across the room into a wall, "then I have work to do." She left the apartment.
"So she's going to kill all humans", Xander noted grimly. "And she has the power to do so."
"You can say that", Rosenberg nodded.
"So Wesley's speech on humans made her determined to end humanity instead", Tara sighed. "And it's going to be near impossible to stop her."
"Yeah", Maclay nodded sadly.
Angel and Spike were in the private jet again as Spike drunk from a tiny bottle of Jack Daniels and scoffed at the size, having drunk ten tiny ones already. "Thousands would have died if we'd saved her." Angel agreed as Spike looked down. "She wouldn't have wanted that."
"No, she wouldn't", Willow agreed, since Fred cared about people too, like the rest of them, and millions of them being infected to save her would just make it worse for her.
She wouldn't have wanted that, she would have let herself die in that case to save the others.
Willow wiped some more tears that rolled down.
"I guess she's gone, then", Spike said. After some talk, Angel asked. "Gone. What does it mean that she's gone?" Spike pointed out. "Well, in the world of men, a person dies, they stay that way." Angel added. "Unless you're a Vampire." Spike shrugged. "Or the ghost of one that saved the world." Angel gave another example. "Or Buffy. Death doesn't have to be the end, not in our world. Rules can be broken. All you have to do... is push hard enough."
"Yes, they're right, she can be saved, right?" Buffy asked, turning to the future people, but their expressions were grim. "What?"
"Why not?" Dawnster asked.
"Her soul has been consumed too, she can't return, and there is no afterlife either", Maclay explained sadly, and the past Scoobies exchanged horrified and saddened looks.
Dawnster was now in tears again as Tara tried to comfort her, while Willow had her mouth covered, more tears rolling down, and Buffy too was wiping her face.
Xander looked enraged again, as some tears rolled down, and Giles watched ahead in disbelief.
"Knox, Sparrow and Illyria, all need to pay", Xander then snarled with rage.
"Yeah", Harris agreed with a sigh, since right now, no point in defending Illyria, he knew the change in her would surprise everyone a lot.
A bloody and beaten Knox was slumped on an office chair with his hands bound by duct tape. Harmony excitedly asked to torture him, telling Gunn she had drinks with Fred once too. Wesley then arrived, noting the bound Knox as Gunn revealed he knew what was going on. Wesley was angry at Gunn for not telling him this as Knox writhed in his chair, asking Wesley to tell the rest what happened. Wesley stared at Knox. "The infection, Illyria, consumed her. Took over her body." Gunn said it was still Fred as Illyria was controlling her but Wesley said. "She's gone."
Wesley saying that was like a ton of bricks hitting their hearts, and now they realized she truly was gone, forever.
"All of you torture him together", Dawnster then snarled, wiping her tears.
After seeing how much Fred had suffered, at this point Buffy wasn't objecting either, Knox really did deserve to die. Even if she wouldn't kill him, she couldn't care less if any of Team Angel did, he was 'worthy' of it too.
"She's so much more than that now. Beyond flesh. Beyond perfection. I loved Fred. I really did", Wesley stared blankly as Knox talked. "She had a warmth that took you in and held you until everything cold and distant melted away. She was the most beautiful, perfect woman I ever met. That's why I chose her. She's the only one that was worthy." Without changing his blank expression, Wesley pulled his handgun out of his shoulder holster, pointed it at Knox, and cocked it. Gunn stopped him. "Wes, don't. We need him. I know how you feel—" "Do you know?" Wesley choked up. "You didn't feel her die." He was crying. "She was shaking with pain and terrified and so brave. And she was better than anyone I've known, and better than..." with teary eyes, he glanced at Knox, shaking his head, "and she's gone."
All Scoobies, even the future ones, could feel their tears coming again. Fred had suffered the most with a death that painful that even erased her soul, but Wesley had suffered too, by being with her till the end, holding her as she succumbed at last while trying to be brave till the end.
"I know." Wesley put the gun down when he saw Angel and Spike in the doorway. "Now let's get her back."
"They're going to fail, aren't they?" Buffy asked grimly.
"There is no way now", Summers said sadly. There was none at the moment.
In Angel's office, Angel and Spike told the rest about what had happened at England, and Lorne blamed himself for reading Knox wrong, and Angel said they should have never come here, as Lorne walked out sadly, and Spike said he won't be much good if he was doubting himself.
"Maybe Knox took the same thing as the guy who sold out Nina", Dawnster pointed out.
"He was", Dawn confirmed, and the others got angry at Knox once more.
"Really hoping he gets a painful end", Xander snarled. "Sick bastard."
Angel said the sarcophagus had been preordained for release so nothing could have stopped it, but Gunn said someone had signed a customs release form, and he was working on finding out who. Wesley got angry as Angel requested him to stay sharp for Fred, assuring they could bring her back as it had only taken over the body. "It's the soul that matters", Angel said. "Trust us, we're kind of experts", Spike added.
"Guess they don't know", Buffy realized sadly.
"No, they didn't have much knowledge on something like this due to it being new territory", Rosenberg confirmed.
"Wesley is angry at Gunn for not finding the guy who signed the form fast enough", Tara noted. "How will he react when he finds out its Gunn?"
"Much worse", Maclay told her grimly. "Not the worst, but pretty bad."
"Her death has made him unstable", Willow noted with sympathy, since she was the same when Tara had died. "He should tell them though, lying won't help his case."
"Yeah, until now, he has just been manipulated, but now he's hiding it while they're running around trying to save Fred", Dawn pointed out Gunn's mistake here, and none disagreed.
Angel assured they'd find Fred's soul and put it back where it belonged, then they would make everyone who had a hand in this pay. Wesley suggested Willow and Spike agreed, as she'd rattled the dead before, and was now in South America with Tara. Angel said to track them both and get them here as soon as possible, and also had to get Illyria, asking Wesley what he knew.
"So they're calling us", Tara noted. "Did we help?"
"It's complicated", Summers simply said, knowing what was about to happen.
"What do you mean?" Willow asked.
"Just watch", Harris sighed.
Knox was pulled out into the lobby by an arm breaking through the glass wall as Harmony ran out, and was shocked to see Illyria, who backhanded her so hard she went flying through the air and landed on the balcony upstairs. Knox told Illyria how much he worshipped her as he followed her.
"Now she has him", Buffy said as all groaned.
"She doesn't care that much about him, if you're worried about that", Harris assured. "If only he had known."
"So I'm guessing he gets his", Dawnster realized.
"Oh he does", Dawn confirmed.
Illyria then stood over her sarcophagus as Knox stared in awe. "I've been waiting so long for this. I've loved you from the moment I saw you." He wiped blood off of his face with a handkerchief. "I was 11. You were ancient. Pressed between the pages of the forbidden texts. I would stare at you for hours, locked in my room. My mom thought I was looking at porn." Illyria noted. "You are the Qwa'ha Xahn." Knox unbuttoned his shirt. "I am your priest. I am your servant. I am your guide in this world." He pulled up his undershirt so Illyria can see his chest. "I've taken your sacraments and placed them close to my heart according to the ancient ways." Illyria fingered his chest where his skin was cut open, foreign objects were placed under his skin, and he was stitched closed again. "That's why you were called to me. We're bound together." "My last Qwa'ha Xahn was taller", she stood, walking away, back toward her sarcophagus as Knox was deflated.
"No more than you deserve, you spent all this time trying to bring her, and she couldn't care less about you", Willow said with a scoff.
"Yeah, in the grand scheme, he didn't matter to anyone", Rosenberg nodded.
"Good", Buffy said with vindictiveness in her voice.
"I—I may be shrinking a bit in the glory of your presence." Illyria commented. "This world... it's not how I left it." Knox apologized. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about that." "But I can", Illyria turned to face Knox, ripping her shirt off. Knox gawked at her naked chest. "Oh...OK."
"Look away, you don't get to look there", Xander snarled at Knox.
"He thinks he is blessed to witness that", Harris scoffed.
"Just punch his teeth in or something", Dawnster said.
"Honestly, after what Fred went through, I can say with absolute certainty that Knox deserves the worst", Tara finally spoke, and no one disagreed.
"He does", Maclay nodded.
In the office, Angel was talking with Giles over the phone and Angel was frustrated that Giles was unable to reach out to Willow and Tara, since they were in Tibet and Spike made a quip, while Giles explained that Willow and Tara were on astral plane and Angel begged that it was an emergency and then snapped, when Giles put him on hold.
"Damn it. I guess we picked the wrong time to improve our magical powers." Willow said.
"It's not like we knew what was going on." Buffy justified.
"Yeah, we didn't, still wrong timing", Tara sighed.
"Keep watching." Summers said as the past Scoobies noticed the dark looks on their future selves, wondering what was it about as they turned to the screen, not noticing the future Scoobies glaring at Giles.
"I wonder whether we helped or not." Giles said. While he had his issues with Angel and Spike, what he had seen in the recordings made him realize things were not as black-and-white with Angel, his group and Wolfram & Hart and the glare of the future Scoobies intensified, burning holes into the back of Giles's skill.
Wesley was frustrated that Willow and Tara were unavailable to help, while Gunn was hopeful and Wesley assured Gunn that he did everything he could and apologized that he should not have taken his anger out on Gunn.
The Scoobies tensed, wondering how would Wesley react upon finding out about Gunn's indirect role in Fred's death.
"Yeah, I'm still at Wolfram & Hart, what does that have to do with anything? Yeah? I understand." Angel said before he hung up and enraged, Angel threw the phone at the wall, smashing it to pieces. "We're on our own." He said. "Good. 'Cause I was wondering." Spike said indifferently.
At that moment, the past Scoobies stared at the screen in disbelief with their jaws hanging open, while the phrase 'if looks could kill' came to mind as the future Scoobies glared at Giles. The past Scoobies slowly turned their heads towards Giles, who only stared in shock at what his on-screen self had done.
While he certainly would not trust Angel after taking over Wolfram & Hart, from what he had seen, Angel was still trying to fight the good fight but going about it differently and while Giles had his differences with Angel, Spike and Wesley, he could not believe that he would deliberately ignore the threat of the Old One rising and leaving an innocent good person like Fred to die. He turned to the Scoobies as he saw their mortified and disbelieved looks.
"I… I am—"
Next thing Giles knew, he fell to the floor as his glasses fell off and he felt the bones in his nose crack and a sting on his face as Buffy punched him and Willow slapped him.
"You son of a bitch!" Buffy snarled.
"How could you?!" Willow yelled.
"Hey, hey, hey, enough!" Xander yelled as he restrained Buffy, while Tara and Dawn pulled Willow away but Giles could see their glares full of anger, disappointment and betrayal burning into him before he noticed the same looks on their future selves.
"How…why did you do that?" Tara asked, since while she wasn't going to hit him, she looked angry and disappointed herself.
"Like seriously, the hell?" Xander asked. "Even if I hated them, I wouldn't ignore this, what's wrong with you, G-Man?"
"I used to think the worst thing you did was drugging me and taking away my powers", Summers said as Giles held his face, looking at her disappointed eyes. "Then I thought it was neglecting Willow's addiction and just leaving. After that, I thought it was when you tried to help Robin kill Spike. But this…" Summers shook her head and scoffed. "This has all of that beat."
"Why did you do this Giles? You hate Angel that much that you would not help with Fred?" Dawnster asked.
"Let him speak, I doubt he can justify this", Dawn told her younger self.
"Tell us, Giles, why did you refuse to help with Fred?" Buffy asked. "Well, you didn't, but that version of you did, and you could have been him, you'd know."
Giles first noticed there was another chair kept a little away, and walking to it, he sat down on it, since he knew sitting near the others would only lead to more punches and slaps to his face.
"Angel, I always distrusted him, then after Jenny, it worsened", Giles explained to them all.
"That's understandable", Maclay told Giles.
"Then he fed off of you", Giles said to Buffy and Summers.
"I made him do that!" Buffy snapped. "He didn't want to, I kept punching him till he gave in to his baser instincts and fed from me!"
"How can you blame him for that?" Summers wondered.
"Because I didn't like him", Giles confessed. "And then the whole thing with Spike happened, you trusted him more than you trusted me."
"With his soul, he was my confidante, not the best one, but he was loyal", Buffy told him. "While you seemed angry that I'm not as reliant on your mentoring."
"Yeah, we didn't see what Buffy saw then, but Spike was loyal to her", Rosenberg added in support. "He earned her trust, you lost a lot of ours when you left the previous year."
"Buffy was too reliant on you, but Willow needed you", Harris reminded, and Giles nodded shamefully, looking at both the Willows in regret.
"But after the whole thing with Spike, I was done with allowing Vampires in your life", Giles confessed, and Buffy looked like she was going to deck him again but the others restrained her.
"You have no right! You are my Watcher, you are more of a dad to me than my actual one! But it's my life! If you don't like what I do, you have no right to interfere!" Buffy snapped.
"So in short, you got angry that you were irrelevant now and that I have something for certain Vampires, and took it out by not giving Angel the benefit of the doubt regarding Wolfram and Hart", Summers summed it up. "What happened to you, Giles? You were never like this."
"I am sorry", Giles sighed.
"Sorry isn't going to help Fred", Dawn told him.
"Uhhh, guys", Xander then said. "I hated Angel and Spike too, now I like them a lot after watching these."
"Yeah, and?" Willow asked.
"Well, what about you Giles?" Xander asked him.
"I understand them much better than before", Giles confessed.
"So tell me, if this happened in our timeline, would you refuse to help still?" Dawnster asked.
"No I wouldn't", Giles said honestly.
"Good", Dawnster said.
"I really don't know how to get past this though", Buffy sighed, looking away from Giles, since now whenever she looked at him, she saw the man who refused to help against an Old One because he didn't like her being involved with Vampires.
"I shall try to make up for it now", Giles assured.
"In that case", Tara chanted and Giles' nose was fixed.
"Thank you, Tara", he said gratefully.
"Don't thank me, just stop being self-righteous and judgmental, you've seen the worst of what it can lead to", Tara told him, and Giles was silenced, since she was right.
He decided not to speak much for now, since while they would forgive him eventually when he went back in time with them to help, right now, him speaking would be unwise because they were rightfully angry at him.
Harmony then arrived, telling them of what had just happened. A topless Illyria stood beside the sarcophagus facing Knox, as a wind howled in the room. Illyria slapped her palm on one of the crystals that decorated her sarcophagus. A thick, rubbery substance began covering her body, starting from the hand where she was touching the sarcophagus and creeping across the rest of her body. Eventually, she was completely covered in something approximating a body suit. "I'm ready to begin." Angel walked into the lab, followed by Spike, Wesley, Gunn, and some guards armed with machine guns. "Or we could just hang out."
"They aren't going to win, are they?" Buffy asked grimly.
"No, an Old One is too powerful", Summers told her.
"How did they beat her?" Willow asked.
"Just watch", Rosenberg sighed.
"A warrior. I was beginning to wonder if this world was void of your kind." Spike challenged. "Plenty of us to go 'round, luv." Illyria noted. "2 half-breeds and a band of primitives. Is this all that challenges me now?" "That, and a whole lot of bullets." The guards cocked their machine guns and pointed them at Illyria. Wesley said. "Enough to temporarily incapacitate even you." Angel walked to her. "We know what you are, Illyria. We've seen the rest of your kind. All the Old Ones, sealed away forever, like you were. Where you should've stayed. You've taken something of ours, something very precious." Illyria cocked her head. "Stand down and I promise we won't destroy you taking it back. Your choice."
"This isn't gonna go well", Dawnster commented, as all had a sinking feeling.
"I decline." Illyria grabbed Angel and threw him through the window; he fell to the ground outside. Gunn ordered. "Take her!" With a wave of her hand, Illyria created a wave of some sort that, when it reached the others, slowed their movements down to super-slow-motion. As Wesley, Gunn, and Spike tried to approach her, they were virtually frozen in their anger. Illyria, able to move in real-time, grabbed Knox by the lapels and walks out of the lab past the others without their notice, accidentally knocking beakers and vials to the ground, shattering them on her way out. Illyria walked out of the building, followed by Knox as Angel dropped to the ground in slow motion above them. When Illyria's trick wore off, Angel fell to the ground at a normal rate, landing on his belly amid shards of broken glass. He groaned, pushing himself to his feet, and stumbled back to the building.
"She can slow time", Tara realized, as everyone was even more shocked now. "How are they gonna beat that?"
"It's near impossible, I agree", Dawn nodded.
"This is like the most powerful foe any of us had", Buffy realized. "Glory was weakened, and she has nothing for Illyria's time slowing. The First was powerful and so was Caleb, but the First was incorporeal. Illyria isn't, and she's powerful."
"Yeah, now I'm having a lot of doubts too", Xander nodded, everyone grim.
"It gets worse before it gets better", Maclay told them.
The bell dinged, and a bloodied Angel got off the elevator, accompanied by Harmony, who apologized. The others had lost her too, and Spike noted she'd been like a blur. "Yeah, like she was pulling a Barry Allen." Angel looks at Gunn, not recognizing the name; Gunn looked around at the others. "Jay Garrick? Wally— Like she was moving really fast." Wesley pointed out. "Or we were moving very slow."
"In that case, Hunter Zolomon's more accurate", Xander pointed out.
"Yeah", Harris agreed.
"So she slows time, well, that's going to be something", Dawnster sighed.
Angel realized Illyria was super strong and could alter time. Angel then gave his orders as all split up, while he and Spike went to his office, and Spike told Angel there was no scent off of Illyria, nothing. Angel agreed sadly. Spike told him. "Look... I want Fred back as much as any of us... but seeing her there, like that... maybe she really is—" "No. I lost Cordelia because something violated her. It crawled inside and used her up." Angel pulled the dagger out of its scabbard. "No way in hell am I letting that happen again."
"But it's too late, isn't it?" Buffy asked sadly, feeling the tears come again.
"Yeah", Summers nodded with a sigh. "Nothing can be done now."
"Except end Illyria", Willow snarled. "That can be done."
Harmony shattered glass equipment in the lab while making insulting remarks on Knox. Wesley observed the sarcophagus, saying Fred hadn't put it into containment immediately because of her curiosity, he hated her a little for that. Harmony gave him the pry bar and pointed out. "The girl of your dreams loved you. That's more than most people ever get." "I know, but it isn't enough", Wesley replied as he whacked the sarcophagus repeatedly, managing to dislodge a crystal, with the markings on it referring to a series of concussively timed intervals, this gem being the focal point, so it could be useful.
"Harmony is wise now", Xander commented, not believing it. "And nice."
"Yeah, some people change", Harris told him with a nod. "Plus, Harmony wasn't even that bad as a Vampire."
"I can agree, and she attacked me", Willow agreed.
"Guess she is on our side now, even without a soul", Buffy realized.
"Yeah, she's on our side", Dawn agreed with her.
"I think the crystal can help", Tara said to the rest.
"It will, a little", Maclay confirmed.
Harmony had found out Knox's cell phone, and all incoming and outgoing calls had been deleted, but there would still be missed calls according to Harmony, so Wesley noted there were 3 in the last few hours from the same person.
"Guess who?" Harris asked the past people.
"I think I know", Dawnster said.
"Yeah, it's Sparrow", Summers confirmed.
Sparrow was washing blood off his instruments as Gunn arrived, and he was disappointed it had taken him this long to find him. Sparrow taunted Gunn by asking about Fred but was violently pushed into the patient's chair, threatening him. He then punched the doctor's stomach, asking how to bring Fred back, but Sparrow said there was no way. Sparrow reminded of the bargain again. "Then take it back. Everything you put in my head, the law, all the knowledge, take it back. Everything." Gunn cried. "Take more, leave me a vegetable. I don't care. Just bring her back." He softly begged. "Please... bring her back."
In spite of Gunn's indirect role here, no one could bring themselves to be too angry at him. A little disappointed, but not too angry, at least he was trying to fix it, and showing guilt and remorse.
"Poor guy", Xander muttered, knowing this mistake would haunt him forever.
"Yeah", Rosenberg agreed, remembering what he had done right in the next recording to pay for his mistake. "He made a mistake, and Fred paid the price, but he didn't intend it."
"Now he's going to live with it", Tara said sadly. "Though he should still tell the others."
"There's nothing left to bring back. Miss Burkle's soul was consumed by the fires of resurrection. Everything she was is gone." Gunn let him go. "Forever. For better or worse, you made a deal, Mr. Gunn. I suggest you learn to live with it."
"No soul", Buffy whispered in horror, already knowing it but not feeling any better. "Oh my God! Consumed!"
"Yeah", Summers whispered, some tears of her own.
"Now Knox has to pay", Willow said with a snarl.
Sparrow started to walk away, when he was cold-cocked with the butt of a shotgun. Wesley knocked the doctor to the ground and stood pointing the shotgun at Gunn. "Is there something you'd like to tell me, Charles?" Gunn turned in horror to see Wesley had overheard the doctor's conversation with him.
"Oh no", Dawnster said in horror as they realized what was going to happen now.
"Please don't do something you'll regret, Wesley", Tara begged him.
"Like you said, he will live with it", Maclay told her past self, and there were some sighs of relief. "But don't expect hugs and kisses either."
"I wasn't", Tara responded.
Wesley noted. "Knox was in contact with a doctor. But you already know that, don't you?" Gunn nodded, turning to face Wes. "Yeah, one of my sources—" "Don't." Gunn sighed, caught. "What he said... about Fred, about her soul, is it true?" Gunn looked down. "What did you do, Charles?" Gunn softly confessed. "It was just a piece of paper. I was losing it. Everything they put in my head, everything that made me different. Special. And he could fix it. Make it permanent. So I signed a piece of paper. It was a custom's release form. I didn't think anyone would get hurt." "Nothing from Wolfram & Hart is ever free", Gunn looked away, crying. "You knew that."
"Yes, that he did", Buffy agreed. "But he just made a mistake, a costly one, but he didn't know what would happen."
"Tell that to Wesley", Dawn pointed out.
"He is losing it completely now", Willow realized, not really blaming him, just hoping he didn't go as far as she did.
Gunn looked Wesley in the eyes. "I couldn't go back... to being just the muscle. I—I didn't think it would be one of us. I didn't think it would be Fred." Wesley walked slowly toward Gunn. "I understand not wanting to go back", he stopped pointing the gun at Gunn, "not wanting to be who we were. I understand it. And I can forgive it." He put the gun down on a table covered with medical instruments. "But you knew what was happening to her. You knew who was responsible and you didn't say anything. You let her die." He picked up a scalpel from the table and thrust it into Gunn's gut. "I'm less forgiving about that." Gunn coughed and looked up at Wes, who was looking him straight in the eyes.
The past Scoobies were jump-scared again as Buffy asked. "What the hell?"
"He is not stable", Willow pointed out. "No point trying to reason with him."
"But Gunn!" Dawnster said.
"Not fatal", Summers assured.
"That supposed to make it better?" Xander asked.
"No, just putting it out there", Rosenberg told him.
"And he didn't intend it to be fatal either", Maclay added. "Just bad enough to put him in the hospital."
No one liked what Wesley did, and could see Gunn's side too, but it was understandable why he was so angry.
"I think if Wesley remembered his stupidity with Connor, he'd be much more forgiving of Gunn", Tara pointed out to the rest.
"Yeah, I think he would", Dawn nodded in agreement. "But he doesn't."
Angel later slammed Wesley against the wall for his actions, though he said he'd missed the major organs. Wesley then broke down, revealing Fred's soul was destroyed in resurrecting Illyria, and also Gunn's involvement, including how much he did know, but he'd let Fred die. Angel said he had to, revealing there was a way to save Fred but thousands of others would have died, so he couldn't let that happen. Wesley now had to bury it, now the focus had to be on Illyria.
"He's right", Xander said. "A lot's happened, but it's time to focus on Illyria."
"Especially considering how powerful she is", Buffy added. "They need to think, and act, or she'd take them all down."
"Now a lot of things will happen", Summers said cryptically.
Spike then arrived, revealing he'd tortured Sparrow and gotten a name- Vahla ha'nesh. Later, Wesley put a book on the table, opened to a page with a drawing of a temple with a statue inside. The statue was enormous, as tall as the temple's ceiling. It had four arms, and its body is composed of snake-like creatures coiled around a torso, having dozens of snake-tails where feet should be. The statue was holding two bladed weapons. In the background, thousands of dots filled the temple floor. "It's her temple. This is where she was supposed to be resurrected." Angel noted. "That's Illyria." Wesley confirmed. "In its native form." Spike pointed to thousands of dots in the background behind the statue. "What are these smaller bits?" Wesley realized. "Her army of doom." Spike noted. "There's a shock." Angel read. "They were entombed with her." Wesley added. "Waiting for her return." Spike asked. "To Los Angeles?" Wesley explained. "This is where her temple was millions of years ago, and it's still here." Angel commented. "Well, you think I would've remembered seeing something like this parked next to The Ralph's." Wesley revealed. "It's out of phase with our time stream. Only Illyria can open the gateway." Angel asked. "Any idea how we stop her?"
"That's her native form?" Buffy asked, everyone freaked out by it.
"Yeah", Rosenberg nodded grimly. "It is."
"With an army too", Dawnster added. "Yikes!"
"How are they going to win this?" Tara wondered. "This is just too much."
"There's no winning or losing here", Maclay told her younger self. "You'll see soon."
Illyria walked over the bloody body of a security guard followed by Knox. "Your breed is fragile. How is they came to control this world?" Knox explained. "Opposable thumbs. Um, fire. Television. What they lack in strength, they make up for in extraordinary sneakiness." Illyria commented. "You are deceivers." Knox agreed. "Yes, all of them. They deserve to be punished."
"You most of all", Xander said with a snarl.
"Yeah, he deserves the worst", Dawn agreed. "He's one of the deceivers too."
"Considering how long he deceived them, yeah", Willow agreed with a snarl. "Bastard."
Illyria asked. "They? You don't consider yourself part of your race?" She stopped walking. "Not anymore. I'm with the king", Knox rubbed his hands excitedly. "Open the gateway. Raise your army. Wash humanity from the face of the Earth and reclaim what was lost to you so many millennia ago, when the world was ruled by—" "Be silent." Knox nodded. "Right." He bowed. "Sorry." He backed up. "My bad." Illyria held her hands up in front of her face, wiggling her fingers, causing a gust of wind to blow past her, but no portal is opened. She cocked her head, sighing. "The gateway is blocked." "I was afraid of that", Knox walked forward. "Wolfram & Hart probably threw a lock on it. They're big on things happening on their timetable." Illyria was surprised "The Wolf, Ram, and Hart? In my time they were weak, barely above the Vampire." Huh. I guess they beefed up. But not to worry", Knox revealed. "I brought my skeleton key. Just in case."
"Don't think it's gonna make her care about you", Buffy said with a shrug.
"Oh she couldn't care less about him", Summers agreed there.
"The Senior Partners were really that weak once?" Dawnster asked.
"Yeah, they were, then got powerful and connected, though the Old Ones are still the biggest deal", Rosenberg explained.
"And now they're dealing with one", Tara muttered.
Gunn was lying in a hospital bed in Wolfram & Hart when Harmony walked in carrying some papers. "There's some stuff you need to sign." She walked towards Gunn. "I don't think Angel wants me to be signing anything right now." Harmony said. "Yeah. Um... that's what these are about." Gunn strained to sit up, taking the folder from her. "Nobody else could stomach bringing these down?" He signed the papers, handing them back to Harmony. "Is it true? What they're saying about you?" Gunn sighed. "I guess it is." Harmony asked. "How could you do that? To your friends? To Fred?"
"He didn't mean to!" Dawnster defended him.
"Just wait, she is just asking", Dawn told her. "She's not going to be mad or anything."
"Really?" Xander asked.
"Really", Harris confirmed.
"Because I was weak", Gunn scoffed. "Because I wanted to be somebody that I wasn't." He shook his head. "Because I don't know where I fit. Because I never did. Because a thousand other reasons that don't mean a damn 'cause she's gone." He cried. "She's gone... and she's not coming back because of me." He nodded. "I did this, and I'm sorry." He sobbed. "I'm sorry." Harmony patted Gunn on the shoulder as he doubled over, sobbing and repeating 'I'm sorry' over and over again.
Seeing Gunn this guilty and sobbing brought tears to their eyes too, and they finally appreciated Harmony for being there for Gunn at a time like this.
"Yes, you are sorry", Tara assured Gunn, because he was, for everything he did.
"We're a little mad, not too mad", Willow agreed with her girlfriend. "You didn't intend this, you have to learn to forgive yourself."
"It's not easy, is it?" Buffy asked her.
"It's the hardest thing in the world", Rosenberg told her in place of her past self.
"Harmony is comforting him", Xander noted, now impressed by her.
"Yeah, like we said, she has changed", Summers confirmed. "She's still shallow and vapid, but more caring of others than before."
And this proved not all Vampires were that bad even without souls, as Harmony was proving.
Illyria stood back as Knox performed a spell using a pile of small bones on the floor in front of him. He watches as the bones disappeared. Knox stood. "Showtime." "Any seats left?" Knox and Illyria turned quickly to see that Angel, Spike, and Wesley were standing behind them. Angel said. "If not, we could just stand in the back." Illyria sneered at them as they approached and Knox said. "Guys, you should scan the headlines here. You can't win this." Wesley declared. "Then we all die trying." Illyria cocked her head. "Why?" Angel pointed out. "You want the short version? Let's start with you walking around looking like the woman you murdered."
"Yeah, you are disrespecting Fred's memory like that", Dawnster agreed angrily.
The future people wondered how she would react to this recording's ending.
"There's more", Dawn simply said.
"You think your actions will restore her?" "No." Illyria noted. "Yet you seek a confrontation you cannot win." Angel sauntered towards her. "What you're trying to do, raise your army, reclaim your world, innocent people would die. Like Fred. I can't let that happen." Illyria asked. "You are the protector of these creatures?" Angel nodded. "Yes." Illyria asked. "You'd fight for their lives?" Angel confirmed. "Yes." Illyria looked at Knox. "Even this one?" Knox was nervous. "Is that an issue? Is my life in peril, boss? King?"
"Either way, it is", Xander shrugged. "No more than you deserve."
"Yeah, he deserves a death as painful as Fred's, or worse", Harris spoke in agreement.
"I have a feeling he's not gonna last long", Willow commented.
Angel gave a speech. "You're about as low as it gets, Knox, but you're a part of humanity. That isn't always pretty, but it's a hell of a lot better than what came before. And if it comes down to a choice between you and him, then yes, I would fight for his life, just like any other human's. Because that's what people do. That's what makes us—" A gunshot echoed in the room. Knox looked down at his chest to see he was bleeding from a gunshot wound to the heart. He collapsed. Wesley was holding the smoking gun. Angel turned to Wesley and shook his head. "Were you even listening?"
"And finally, a gun offs another horrible person", Willow commented. Wesley had redeemed guns in her eyes by using those to kill Skip and now Knox.
"You know what? I think he had it coming", Buffy finally said. "Wouldn't kill him myself, but not losing any sleep over Wesley doing it either."
"Yeah", Tara of all people agreed too. "He deserved it for what he did to Fred."
"Angel too wanted him dead, he was just trying to make a point to Illyria is all", Summers told them.
"Well, Wesley cut that off", Dawnster commented.
"Now it's going to come to a head", Maclay told them.
Illyria looked at Knox's body on the floor at her feet. "You've destroyed my Qwa'ha Xahn." Spike replied. "Yeah, OK, but you gotta admit, he had it coming." Illyria told him. "It offends me that you think he matters."
"Told ya!" Rosenberg said, and the others were satisfied that Illyria didn't give a damn about Knox after all he had done for her.
"Still wish he'd suffered a little more", Xander said.
"You're not the only one", Dawn agreed.
Angel said. "You're right. He's not the problem. You are." Angel swung his sword at Illyria, but she ducked. They began to fight, and the others joined in. Illyria threw Angel across the room. She punched Spike in the chest, knocking him into the opposite wall. When Wesley shot at her, she kicked Knox's body at him, knocking him down. Angel got to his feet and started swinging his sword at her, but she outmanoeuvred him, ducking his blows and kicking him across the floor again. Spike came at her next, swinging his sword, but Illyria avoided his swings as well.
"My God, she is something else", Buffy whispered in horror. She was having doubts if Team Angel and the Scoobies could together defeat her at this point.
"I ask again, how do they win?" Xander asked.
"It's a surprise", Harris told them. "Just wait and watch."
"All right", Tara sighed.
Angel got to his feet and came at Illyria, who was now fighting them both off. When they swung at her, she grabbed both blades simultaneously with her bare hands, and she swung the Vampires off the end of the swords, flinging them against opposite walls, then threw the swords down. "Unimpressive." As Wesley goy to his feet, Illyria waved her hand, creating another slow-motion time wave before he could fire at her again. Spike tried to get to his feet, and Angel reached into his pocket. Illyria turned to continue with the portal opening, but stopped when she saw Angel standing in front of her in the flash of an eye. "What's the rush?" He punched Illyria hard in the face, sending her across the room. "How?" Angel revealed he was holding the crystal in his fist. "From your sarcophagus. It's connected to you, I'm connected to it." He tossed it in his hand.
"Finally", Buffy sighed in relief. "Good going Angel. So she's not invincible."
"No, she's not, but as close to it as it can get", Summers told her.
"So, this is how they win?" Willow asked.
"More complicated than even that", Maclay said.
"The curiosity is killing us all", Dawnster told them.
"Just wait a little more", Dawn assured.
Illyria smirked. "Sneaky." She swung her leg at Angel's ankles, knocking him to the ground. Spike swung at her as she got to her feet, but she punched him hard in the gut. Wesley saw that she was about to make a run for it, and shot at her, but her hands were out in front of her, and she was opening the portal. As Illyria made a dash for the portal, Wesley dove into it after her, managing to get through just as it closed. Angel and Spike got to their feet too late.
"Oh my God! He's alone with her!" Xander said. "She'll kill him!"
"Wesley", Tara whispered, concerned for him.
The future people waited for it.
Wesley landed on the floor of the temple on his belly, and his gun slipped out of his grip. Pained, he got to his feet as Illyria walked down the steps commandingly, heading for the nave of the temple. "You're too late. My army will rise. This world will be mine once again." She arrived at the nave of the temple, only to see her statue had been toppled and her army was dead. "No." Illyria looked around the temple. The columns were broken. The place was silent as a grave. Her temple was in complete ruin. "It can't be." She panted, crushed. "It's gone." She fell to her knees, running her hands through the sand. "My world is gone." Wesley walked up behind her; cocking his handgun as he pointed it at her head. "Now you know how I feel."
"So it was all for nothing", Buffy realized. "She was resurrected, did all this, and everything she had is gone."
"Yeah", Summers nodded. "It shattered her completely, she lost her world."
"Like Wesley lost his", Willow said. "And now, she knows how he feels."
"So, she's broken and lets herself be killed?" Xander asked. "Doubt a gunshot would do it."
"No, a gunshot won't", Maclay agreed.
"So what will?" Dawnster asked.
"I think we're about to find out", Tara said, though she had a feeling something else was about to happen, something unexpected.
"Let's just watch", Buffy said, and all agreed.
Illyria looked up at Wesley, wide-eyed. A low sound reverberated nearby, and Wesley turned to see a portal had opened up behind him. He looked back at where Illyria was kneeling and saw she was gone. He looked at her toppled statue and walked out of the portal.
"And she's gone again", Dawnster groaned. "Now what's she gonna do?"
"Nothing, because she has nothing left", Rosenberg pointed out. "So no reason to go after anyone."
"So, she'll just wander around after what she did to Fred?" Buffy asked. "How's that fair?"
"It's not", Summers agreed. "But there's more to it."
"Just watch", Dawn reminded.
Angel and Spike were sitting, talking, while Wesley stared into nothingness. Spike quipped. "No army of doom scorching the earth. Huzzah for our side." Angel pointed out. "We need to close the gateway to Illyria's temple. Permanently. I don't want any more surprises." Spike asked. "What about the leather queen?" Angel explained. "She still has enough juice to be a threat. We regroup and we take care of it. Wes?" "It's all we can do. I'll be in the lab", Wesley walked out. Spike sighed. "Long day." He sniffed. "That offer still good? Send me abroad, roving agent and all?" Angel confirmed. "Yeah, it's still good." "Great", Spike sighed. "Maybe we should send Gunn... before Wes has another poke."
"He's not leaving?" Buffy asked, surprised, in a good way.
"He would have, but after Fred's gone, he is going to see this through for her", Rosenberg told Buffy, who was proud of him again.
"Spike", she muttered, seeing just how good he was now.
"Yeah, he cared about her, he wants to honor her", Summers confirmed.
"Good going, Soulboy number 2", Xander raised his thumbs.
"Yeah, good going", Harris sighed.
"He may have a point on sending Gunn too", Willow added.
"Don't worry, no more pokes", Maclay assured.
"That's good", Dawnster said as all sighed in relief.
Angel was surprised. "You're not leaving?" "This is what she would have wanted", Spike looked at Angel. "It's what I want. I don't really like you. Suppose I never will. But this is important, what's happening here. Fred gave her life for it. The least I can do is give what's left of mine." He looked out the window. "The fight's comin', Angel. We both feel it... and it's gonna be a hell of a lot bigger than Illyria. Things are gonna get ugly. That's where I live."
"How big of a fight?" Tara asked. "And bigger than Illyria?"
"You can say that", Dawn said grimly. "It's really big."
"Well, crap!" Xander said. "Bigger than even her?"
"There's always a bigger fish", Summers sighed.
"I know", Buffy agreed, since counting out Year 6, each Big Bad put the previous ones to shame in terms of power.
Wesley was packing Fred's personal effects in a box with bubble-wrap. He took a commemorative plate off the wall where it hung next to the Dixie Chicks poster. Illyria was standing in the doorway. "You grieve still... for a single life." Wesley, without turning to look at her, shut his eyes tight and spoke through gritted teeth. "Why are you here?" "I... I'm uncertain", Illyria looked around. "This place... was part of the shell." Wesley snapped. "Don't call her—" He breathed deeply. "The woman you killed had a name."
"Is she gonna kill him?" Xander asked.
"No", Maclay told him. "She's not."
"Then why is she here?" Dawnster asked.
"Because she lost everything too", Rosenberg told them. "Everything."
Now the pieces started falling in place, though they remained silent, deciding to watch the whole thing.
Illyria commented. "This is important to you. Things have names. The shell... Winifred Burkle... She can't return to you." Wesley packed Fred's things tearfully. "I know." "Yet there are fragments. When her brain collapsed, electrical spasms channeled into my function system... memories." Illyria held up her fingers, making a gap between her thumb and index finger where an electrical spark formed, then spoke as Fred. "Please...Wesley, why can't I stay?"
"Shut, your, mouth", Buffy snarled, gritting her teeth and clutching her fists. "You don't get to do that after what you did to her."
"She doesn't", Maclay agreed. "But there's not much else she can do either."
"Taking herself out would be a good start", Xander snarled.
"Not going to do that", Dawn told him.
Wesley turned away, nearly sick, crying. "No." He looked out the window. "Leave." "I've nowhere to go. My kingdom is long dead", Illyria softly said. "Long dead. There's so much I don't understand. I've become overwhelmed. I'm unsure of my place." Wesley turned to her, angrily. "Your place is with the rest of your people: Dead and turned to ash." "Perhaps... but I exist here. I must learn to walk in this world", Illyria slowly approached Wesley. "I'll need your help... Wesley."
"You killed the woman he loved and now you ask for his help?" Dawnster was outraged. "Have you no shame?"
"What will Wesley do?" Willow asked.
"He is mentally unwell now, so is she", Rosenberg said. "Not much to be done."
"Wait what? Seriously?" Buffy asked. "She killed Fred, tried to take over the world, and it's all forgiven?"
"Nothing is forgiven", Maclay pointed out.
"Think about it this way- Illyria is the most powerful thing they have faced so far, not much that can be done with her, now that she's lost what she cared about, she wants to live in this world and change, and they can't defeat her", Harris explained it all. "So fighting her is gonna make it worse. Plus, she still looks like her."
"She has no right to", Xander snarled.
"No, she doesn't", Dawn agreed. "But nothing can be done now."
"So, she just stays with them and joins the team?" Tara asked.
"Well, yeah", Summers confirmed. "She does."
"Isn't it disrespectful to Fred?" Buffy asked.
"You've seen how Angel, Spike, Faith, Anya, even us", Rosenberg gestured to herself and her past self, "have changed into better people."
"So Illyria will also change?" Willow asked.
"Yes, she will change", Summers confirmed. "Into a better person, overtime, but she will."
"I'm not okay with it, but I trust you guys, so I'll just have to take it", Buffy sighed.
"Fair enough", Maclay agreed.
With that, all of them turned to watch the recording, not liking what was happening, but understanding why.
Wesley frowned and choked back tears. "If I were to help you find your way... you have to learn to change. You mustn't kill." Illyria reminded. "You killed the Qwa'ha Xahn in defiance of your leader." Wesley shook his head and looked at her. "He murdered the woman I love." Illyria said. "And that made it just." "No. It wasn't just", Wesley sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm probably the last man in the world to teach you what's right." Illyria realized. "But you will. If I abide, you will help me." Wesley softly said. "Yes." Illyria asked. "Because I look like her?" Wesley looked at her with tears in his eyes, whispering. "Yes." Illyria stood beside Wes, looking out the window to the lab below where her sarcophagus lay. "We cling to what is gone. Is there anything in this life but grief?" Wesley looked at the lab. "There's love. There's hope...for some. There's hope that you'll find something worthy... that your life will lead you to some joy... that after everything... you can still be surprised." "Is that enough?" Illyria looked at Wesley. "Is that enough to live on?"
"It has to be", Willow sighed, since she wanted to die after Tara was gone, but she was now glad she hadn't, since life had led her to joy again by returning Tara to her.
"So she wants to learn to be human", Tara noted. "And only Wesley can keep her in check."
"Out of them, he can do it best", Rosenberg confirmed.
"Well, this is a mess", Buffy sighed. "A mess. Fred…"
"Yeah", Summers nodded, though they were going to tell them about Fred's return after the recordings were over.
The song "A Place Called Home" played. Gunn sat in the hospital bed staring at the ceiling. Harmony sat at her desk, lost in thought, sad, despite the unicorn figurines, pink notebook and feathery pen that decorated her desk. Lorne was sitting alone in his office drinking a Sea Breeze with a lime wedge. Spike was sitting on the steps in the lobby as lawyers walked past him. Angel sat at his desk signing papers. Wesley finished packing Fred's belongings. Wes packed Fred's toy bunny "Feigenbaum". Illyria stood in the lab, looking from Fred's office to the sarcophagus. Illyria touched the sarcophagus and looked back up at Fred's office. In the flashback, Fred packed her things into the Chevy station wagon and runs back to give her mom a hug. She waved and walked back to the car, smiling. She waved again, then got into the car and drove away toward Los Angeles, while the song ended. The screen went black.
The last scene of Fred driving away made them teary-eyed again as Dawnster whispered. "Her parents…..they lost her again…."
"Yeah", Rosenberg said in a whisper. "She's gone now."
"Wanna take a break?" Harris then offered.
"Yes, thank you", Buffy said, as all Scoobies, past and future, got up and walked off to the dining room, Giles still keeping his distance.
And done at last, this was something to write. The ending scene made me cry.
I feel like I should hate Illyria, but she was a really intriguing character, so I just couldn't, even after Fred died. Fuck Knox though!
Now only 2 more breaks to go, and 6 more episodes.
Giles really made me mad in this episode, and this is the best explanation I could think for his behavior. Considering Seasons 6 and 7, not the most far-fetched either. That Giles I can see eventually turning into the Giles we had in this episode.
Still, fuck Whedon for ruining Giles, who at one point was my most favorite character in the franchise!
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.
