part 16

Exterior Buffy is running as fast as she can when she almost knocks Fred down cutting through an alley.

Fred: Oh! (the wind is knocked out of her and she puts a hand up to catch herself before falling.

Buffy: I...I'm sorry! (She barely offers the apology before starting to take off again) Wes: (Whispers) Buffy?

Buffy stumbles and stops dead in her tracks. She turns to see Wes looking at her in surprise. Her own shock registers at the sight of his injury.

Buffy: Wesley?

Wes nods and Fred speaks up.

Fred: Buffy? You're Buffy?

Buffy: (still looking at Wes) Yes. What happened to you?

Wes: (slowly) No time.

Fred: We were coming to find you!

Buffy: (finally looks at Fred) Find me? Why?

Fred: (looks at Wes and exchanges a look) We know who Sajhan is.

Buffy: Was.

Wes: What?

Buffy: Sajhan's dead.

Fred: But...that can't be. Wouldn't that mean he would have to be dead here too?

Buffy's eyes widen as she realizes that they actually know what they're taking about.

Buffy: Wait. How did you...oh God who did you tell?

Fred: Nobody! We wanted to find you first. Angel and the others went after you before we knew it for sure.

And then we found one last passage that we had overlooked.

Buffy: Passage? You found out who Sajhan was in a book?

Fred: Actually it was the internet. But...

Wes: (grabs Buffy's arm and stops the conversation, both women look at him as he slowly squeaks out his question) Sahjhan...dead. Where is Angel? Connor?

Buffy: They're both fine. I left them together in the tunnels.

Fred: So he's okay?

Buffy: Yes. Why do you keep asking me that?

Fred: (looks at Wes) We must have been wrong.

Buffy: Listen guys, there's not a lot of time. I'm not supposed to discuss anything that's happened to me...(she stops short in thought) Wes: (frowns) what? What is it?

Buffy: I'm not supposed to tell Angel the truth. I can't. If I let him know, then all this will be for nothing. I swore.

Fred: So you mean...

Buffy: I mean, I never said anything about not telling anyone else. They didn't say I couldn't get help.

Fred: That's why we came. We want to help. Whatever you need.

Cut to Empty Lot Groo and Spike are finding themselves more and more cut off from possible escape as the group of various demons and vamps close in on them.

Groo: There are too many.

Spike: I'm thinking so myself.

Groo: I can not be steered off course. I must find the Slayer. It is her who I am supposed to fight beside.

This is not my destiny.

Spike: (still watching the group advance as he and Groo step from the pavement onto the grass) If I never hear that bloody word again, it would be too soon.

Xander: How about hearing run?

Spike and Groo turn to see Gunn, Xander, Lorne and Cordy flanking them.

Spike: Run's good.

Groo: Champion's do not run.

Cordy: Can't be a champion if you're dead honey.

Lorne: The lady has a point.

Groo: Did you find the Slayer?

Dawn: (from behind the others) No! We keep getting sidetracked saving all of you!

Groo: I did not ask to be saved!

Spike: What is it with this one? Didn't they teach you to know when to fall back and regroup where you come from? And if you won't have anyone else saving it, perhaps you could at least save your own ass!

He doesn't wait for a reply before heading towards Dawn and Willow and following them into the shadows.

Xander looks around at who's left.

Xander: I think I'll join my party over there.

He takes off after the Sunnydale gang.

Cordy: Let's go Groo. Please. We'll find her and everything else will be fine I promise.

Gunn: Listen to her. We cant take on these guys without the Slayer or Angel. It's jut not happening.

Lorne: Speaking of...where is our fearless interim leader?

Cut to Buffy Fred and Wes have been listening to her tell what she has seen and done.

Buffy: I can't explain why, but I knew that I could trust Sajhan from the beginning. It was like there was this...well it was like he was him. But I didn't know it until They showed me.

Fred: So did They tell you how it happened? Why it happened?

Buffy nods and begins to think back to the horror she had witnessed. She blinks back the tears and tries to speak calmly.

Buffy: It hasn't happened yet. That's why They did all this. They had to prevent it. But They couldn't have done it without him.

Fred: Sajhan?

Buffy: Yes, but he didn't become him until after. He did it trying to fix his mistakes. He gave up his world, his life to allow Them to send him back.

Wes: When?

Buffy: I'm not sure. But soon. That's why They brought me here. They knew that I was the only one strong enough.

Fred: Strong enough?

Buffy: To take the consequences.

Wes: Which are?

Buffy: I can't go into too much detail. I don't know what I'm risking even telling you this much, but trust me when I say, anything that you've seen or even read about would not prepare you for the events that transpire in the future. And they will occur, unless I can stop them.

Fred: But why Angel?

Buffy: Because it's who he is. He lived over a hundred years trying to atone. But the evil kept coming after him. I had been there to counteract it. We helped each other without knowing it. Just being alive and doing what we did, even separately was enough to balance the scales. Then something happened.

Wes: Connor.

Buffy:(nods) I don't know everything about him and how he came to be. But They told me that one day I would learn things about him that would make it hard to continue down my path. But I swore to stay strong even then. To do what had to be done.

Fred: What has to be done?

Buffy: I have to take all the anger and hatred that's threatening to take him over right now. I have to take it before its too late. If I don't, then one day, it will be Connor that feeds off it. He will use every evil thought and feeling that dwells within Angel and use it to become the epitome of the dark side.

Fred: How can you do that? How can you just take it away?

Buffy: That's up to me. I can handle that part. But the problem is making it happen before they come again.

Fred: Who?

Buffy: It's not just the Powers that Be at work here.

It's the dark side. They are sending everything they can to stand in my way. I can't let them succeed.

That's where I could use your help.

Fred: Anything. Just name it, right Wes?

Wes nods and looks to Buffy.

Wes: (slowly) What...if...we...

Buffy: There's no other option Wes. If we don't do this, Connor will cross over and none of us will survive. That's why Sajhan came to be. He had to be created to travel back and find someone who would be strong enough to stop Connor. Someone who would have no reservations about killing a child.

Fred: Holtz.

Buffy: In the future that we're trying to eliminate, Angel had a chance to save us. He had the chance to prevent Connor from doing what he did. But he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to fight his own son. So he stood by helplessly as Connor killed everyone. He saw all of you die. He held Cordelia as she breathed her last breath. And then he knew where Connor would go next. He knew because when Connor absorbed all Angel's darkest thoughts and cravings, he also learned of his deepest desires and love. Connor hated that he came from a place of love. He hated that it was love that brought Angel his epiphany.

Fred: He loved Darla?

Buffy: (flinches at her name) No. I don't think that was it. I think that's what They wouldn't tell me.

What I'll learn some day. But I know it wasn't his feelings for...her that made Connor. It was something else. And Connor knew it too. Somehow he knew. And he came after the last person alive that could show Angel that kind of love.

Wes: (whisper) You.

Buffy: (nods silently) I never even knew what happened. I never saw him or Angel when they came to Sunnydale. Angel finally found the strength he needed.

He called out to the PTB for help and They gave him the only way out. They would take his soul and his immortality in exchange for the ability to stop Connor. He struggled with the decision, Connor was almost at my door when Angel finally agreed. He vowed to do anything if They would just...(she begins to cry softly) he asked that I be spared.

Fred: And then what?

Buffy: (taking a breath) then They took him.

Wes: They killed him.

Buffy: (nodding painfully) He cried out and time stood still. Connor and everything around him disappeared. I was there, but I couldn't hear him. He fell...he collapsed on the ground and the immortal soul was gone. He was still for a moment. I watched him lying there almost peacefully on that ground and then I watched Them change him. I watched him become...

Fred: (sympathetically finishing) Angel became Sajhan.

Buffy cries even harder at hearing the words aloud and flashes to him in the white dimension. Running himself through just after she learned who he really was. As the vision of him collapsing washes over her, she drops to her knees. Fred and Wes exchange a very worried, private look.

Cut to Sewer Angel is walking slowly towards an opening with Connor still clutching his hand. They take turns looking at one another still unsure of what to say.

Cut to Empty lot Just above Angel and Connor, the group runs away from the lot. They're followed closely behind by the various enemies chasing them. Suddenly their aggressors stop on a dime and begin mumbling incoherently amongst themselves.

Spike: What's this?

The others turn to see the beasts behaving strangely.

Groo: What are they saying?

Willow: I can't tell.

Cordy: Maybe we should just keep going.

Xander: What's that?

Everyone looks to where Xander is pointing. Someone is rising from a manhole carrying something. The group of demons hasn't seen it yet and continue mumbling and looking around at the ground.

Cordy is the first to recognize him.

Cordy: Oh God, it's Angel.

Dawn: Angel! Is Buffy with him?

Willow: I don't think so Dawnie.

Lorne: What's that he's carrying?

Xander: I can't tell from here.

Cordy: It's Connor.

Lorne: Huh? That is not a baby Cordelia.

Cordy: No. (begins to walk towards them) No it's not.

Groo: Princess?

About this time, the group of previously confused beasts seems to regain focus. Just as Angel stands and scans the area, he sees Cordy coming toward him and then the things standing in her way.

Before he can react, the first of them cries out in a primal sound of battle. Angel watches helplessly as they go after Cordy and the rest of the group rushes forward to help. Angel is still standing alone, afraid to let Connor go. Not wanting to take the chance of losing him again.

Cut to Buffy The battle cries echo through the air and she raises her head as Fred and Wes turn in the direction they came from.

Fred: What was that?

Woman: (V.O.) You must finish it! Time is running out.

All will be lost!

Without a word to Fred or Wes, Buffy springs to her feet and runs into the fight. Wes and Fred run behind trying to keep up.

Woman: (V.O.) The end is near.