part23
Interior: Hallway Angelus and Buffy are still facing off as Lorne scoots himself backwards and away from Angelus. Just as he's out of reach he's spotted.
Angel: (glancing at him) Do you really think you could get away that easily?
Lorne: (nervously) Apparently just wishful thinking.
Buffy: I'm really disappointed. The old Angelus would have already gone on to the bigger fish.
Angelus: (looks back at her) Let me guess. You're the bigger fish?
Buffy: (not breaking eye contact with Angelus) Lorne, go downstairs.
Angelus: I don't think you get to make that call.
Buffy: I don't think I've ever listened to your opinion.
Angelus: (smirks and takes a step closer to her as Lorne escapes down the hall) I can't believe you're still so gullible. Did you learn nothing last time?
Buffy: (raises chin defiantly) I sent your ass back to hell didn't I?
Angelus: No sweetheart. See, that's the beauty. (stops only a foot or so in front of her and looks at her with fake sympathy) You sent your pansy-ass boyfriend back to hell. Your witch bitch made sure I didn't suffer at all.
He smiles when Buffy is obviously rattled by the memory. But she quickly recovers and hides her emotion.
Buffy: Where is Cordelia?
Angelus: Oh yeah! (leans back on his heels and taps his chin with a fingertip) I gotta say, I was surprised by that one.
Buffy: How so?
Angelus: Come on Buff! (drops his hand and looks her squarely in the eye) It's gotta sting a bit that she did with one kiss what it took you...well a lot more than a kiss to accomplish. Guess you weren't the end all be all that you and the soulboy liked to imagine huh?
Buffy can't keep the tears from welling in her eyes and struggles to stay focused amidst the pain that his words inflict.
Cut to Lobby Xander: I can't believe this.
Dawn: Well it's true. It's the only explanation for what I saw.
Willow: We have to find Cordy.
Xander: I knew I should have been with her. I told Buffy, but she insisted.
Dawn: So you're saying you'd rather Buffy have been there?
Xander: I didn't mean...
Spike: We all know what you mean. You see your long lost puppy love in the flesh and all the sudden you're hero guy.
Xander: (snaps) Do you even think about what you're saying before you open your mouth.
Spike: The only reason people have to think is when they need to lie. Honesty always worked for me.
Gunn: A vamp that likes to psychoanalyze? Now I've seen everything.
Fred: I think we better be concerned with the vamp that just turned against us. What if Buffy can't beat him?
Willow: She did it once before, she can do it again.
Connor: (pulling on Fred's skirt) Who has turned against us? Is it the different one? The one who made me?
Fred: Don't worry Connor. Buffy's going to fix everything. You'll be safe with us.
Connor: I don't care about safe. I want to help. (Fred smiles at his innocent pledge) I want to help him.
Everyone turns to look at Connor when he says the words. Could he have meant what they thought he meant?
Wes: Connor? Who do you want to help?
Connor: (closes his eyes and seems to be thinking hard and it's confusing him) I don't feel good.
Cut to Hallway Lorne runs trying to find the quickest way down when he hears Cordelia's screams. He almost ignores them but can't make himself leave. After several minutes and several doors, he reaches the one she's pounding on.
Lorne: Cordelia quiet down!
Cordelia: (from other side-quieter) Lorne? Is that you? Oh Thank God, get me out of here!
Lorne sees that Angelus has broken the doorknob off and sealed Cordelia inside.
Lorne: Give me a second. I have to find...
Cordy: I want out of here now! We have major problems and I have to warn the others!
Lorne: (pulling a pair of tweezers out of his pocket) I just knew these would come in handy someday.
Cordy: What are you doing? Hurry up! I did something really bad.
Lorne: (breaks the tweezers apart and begins trying to jimmy the broken lock with the pieces) No, I think Daddy Dearest has you beat on the really bad thing.
Cordy: Oh no. So you saw him already.
Lorne: Yeah. Not a pretty picture. But maybe it was the almost getting sucked dry that clouded my vision.
He breaks the tweezers in the door and curses under his breath.
Cordy: What was that? What happened?
Lorne: That is the sound of my incompetence. Our boy did a number on this lock. I can't get it. Maybe you can wait while I...
Cordy: That's it! (She reaches back with one hand balled into a fist and strikes at the door out of complete frustration) Lorne doesn't have time to move before the door flies off its hinges and plasters him against the wall underneath it.
Cordy stares in shock at the splintered wood and back at her fist. She knows it's not normal and needs to be explained, but she ignores the obvious questions and rushes to help.
Cordy: (lifting the door off Lorne and helping him to his feet) I am so sorry! I don't know what...(looks back at the broken doorframe) did you see that?
Lorne: (brushing himself off) Actually no. But this time it was the speeding projectile coming at me that clouded my vision. Surprisingly almost as effective as the previously mentioned bloodsucking incident.
Cordy: We don't have time to waste now. Where are the others?
Lorne: I guess downstairs. That's where Buffy told me to go.
Cordy: Buffy? Where was she?
Lorne: I left her with him. With Angelus.
Cordy: So I really did it.
Lorne: Huh? Did what?
Cordy: Nothing. We have to go.
She pulls him with her downstairs.
Cut to Buffy and Angelus Angelus: Oh how I've missed those sad little eyes. But you know what I've missed even more?
Buffy: Can't imagine.
Angelus: I've missed being the one to put the sadness there. I've got quite a bit of catching up to do now don't I? Seems to me you owe me for denying me my destiny with Acathla.
Buffy: I do owe you. So you ready to collect?
Angelus: From you? (smiles and readies his stance) I'm always ready for that.
Buffy smirks back at him for a split second before lunging.
He sidesteps her first blow and his own fist connects with her back as she passes him sending her headfirst into the wall. She leaves a hole where she makes contact. But doesn't seem to be phased as she comes right back at him.
She fakes him out with the first swing and when he blocks it she swings up with a solid kick at almost the same time. Her boot finds it's target and he doubles over in surprise. A low growl is heard and this time he's vamped out when he rises.
Buffy: What? Already coming with the big guns? You never needed gameface before. What's wrong? Lost your edge?
He seems to take exception and makes the effort to revert to human face.
Angelus: You're right. Why should I make it easy on you? If you want to fight, fight him.
Buffy: Him, you...it's all the same to me. Times have changed in your absence you know. I'm not the same girl.
She doesn't give him a chance to reply before attacking again. They begin a brutal fight that seems unwinnable.
Cut to Lobby Xander: He said him? You guys heard it right? He said him! He wants to help Daddy!
Fred: He didn't mean it like that! He doesn't feel good.
Spike: Maybe that's the problem. Maybe Angelus Jr.
here is feeling exactly what he's supposed to feel.
Gunn: (stepping up to Spike) Watch yourself buddy. The kid is an innocent. You'd do well to remember that.
Spike: Sure thing. (looks at his wrist like there's a watch there) Well, I have something to take care of.
I'll see you folks later.
Dawn: Spike? where are you going?
Spike: I'm not too keen on taking on Angelus.
Willow: What? You're ditching us?
Xander: Oh that's just classic! Isn't that the same thing you did last time Spikey? Run away when Angelus reared his ugly head?
Spike: (muscles in his jaw clench and unclench under the strain of holding his tongue) I was protecting Dru.
Xander: Well, she's not here now. So I can only see one person you're leaving would be protecting. It's good though. I've been waiting for you to finally show your true colors again. This is good. I just wish Buffy could be here to see it. Oh Wait! She's busy taking Angelus on...alone. Don't worry though. I'll give her your regards.
Spike sees Xander turn and walk away and the others all look away from him uncomfortably. He almost breaks when Dawn does the same but he steels himself and heads out the door.
Spike: Bloody idiots.
Just as the door closes behind him Cordy and Lorne rush down the stairs.
Cordy: Why are you all just standing there? Don't you know what's happened?
Wes: Of course.
Lorne: And?
Dawn: And Buffy went up to find him. She said she had to do it alone.
Cordy: And that's it huh? God, has nothing changed since high school?
Xander: Stop acting like you're somehow better than us because you ran away from Sunnydale before the fires were even out at Sunny D High!
Willow: Buffy knows what she's doing Cordelia. She's been through this once before.
Cordy Yeah well that's because she caused it once before. That's not the case this time.
Fred: She has a point. I thought the whole point of the curse was ensuring Angel never felt true happiness again. If he found a way to find happiness in the middle of recent events I'd really like to know how.
Wes: Yes. There has to be something we're missing.
Willow: (interrupting nervously) Cordelia! (Cordy startles) You were with him when it happened right?
Did you see anything? Did you notice anything different?
Cordelia looks down at her feet as the group watches her curiously.
Xander: Cordy?
Cut to Hallway Buffy and Angelus have destroyed two rooms throwing one another about. They both are sweating and Buffy is on the ground with him straddling her. He has her hands pinned above her head with one hand and she struggles unwaveringly as the other hand strokes down her body in a sadistic game.
Angelus: Stop fighting it Buff. You know you can't resist. You fall for the charm and sweet talk every time.
Buffy: (sucking in ragged breath) Too bad there's none of either close by.
Angelus: (smiles and brings his free hand up to grasp her by the throat) Maybe it's just not for you anymore.
Buffy stills against his grip as his words begin to burn through her brain.
Angelus: She was always a little more my style you know. A little fire, A little ice. She sure knows how to drive a man wild. You just never could get that part down could ya?
Buffy begins to roll side to side in a desperate attempt to pitch him off and shut him up.
Buffy: You have no idea what I'm capable of now. You never did. And you never will.
Angelus: Really? Is there some deep dark secret you've been keeping from your one true love?
Spike: (from doorway) Am I interrupting something?
