Chapter X: Hope and comfort.
He knocks twice.
The door opens.
He looks at his visitor with a glint of surprise in his eyes.
Lindsey: "I need to talk to you."
Silence...
They sit around looking at each other. The past weeks have taken an incredible toll on them. The air feels thick. Their mouths dry. They sit around and look at each other. Nobody wants to utter a single word. Reality comes into play the moment it happens. The illusion will be gone.
'Knock, knock'
Giles: "Well, uh, let's get this meeting underway and done as fast as we can." (pauses) "Alright."
The door opens.
Giles: "Well, uh, we have to, uh, ahem assess the situation as fast as possible. As far as we can tell the crisis that befell the globe mere weeks ago has more or less ended. Cities around the world are still in need of major relief efforts. As far as we know, the only real damage done by this is--"
Wes: (looking at the center of the conference table) "That's enough."
Giles: "Wesley," (pauses) "I know that you--"
Wes: "Sorry, Rupert... I'm just having a rather difficult time in caring about anything but what you don't want to share."
Giles: "Yes, well, um--"
Gunn: "What happened to him?"
Everybody looks at Giles.
Giles: (after a pause) "I don't know."
Spike: (scratching the table with his nails) "But you do have theories... don't you?"
Giles: "Yes. I-I, um," (takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes) "I think whatever happened to him falls under a couple of possibilities. It could've been that he confronted the enemy and managed to deter them, or that he may have made a bargain." (pauses and puts glasses back on) "The latter seems more feasible."
Silence...
Xander: "So, what? He's dead?"
Wes looks at him with the corner of his eyes.
Xander: "Wait, I-I don't mean it like that."
Willow: "Xander."
Xander: "I didn't. I just... it just doesn't register."
Wes: "I don't believe he's dead."
Giles: "Why do you think so?"
Wes: "The Senior Partners wouldn't kill him. He's an integral part of the Apocalypse. It's been foretold that he is."
Giles: "But what makes you so sure that he hasn't already served his purpose in the Apocalypse?"
Wes: "Because this isn't--"
Spike: "Or that they weren't even talking about him in the first place?"
Wes: "Spike, I seriously don't believe this is the time for your ridiculous feud over who fulfills the damn prophecy!"
Willow: "But he's right."
Wes glares at her, slightly shocked.
Willow: (cont.) "I mean, it's not a pretty scenario, but the prophecy could be about Spike."
Wes: "He's been fighting to redeem himself for years... I simply can't accept--"
Giles: "You may have to."
Wes stares at Rupert coldly. He remains unfazed, focusing his vision on the others as they argue their points.
From across the table Lorne stares at Wes. He sees as he presses his hands against the cold oak-wood of the table. He can feel his anger and desperation build inside him, just as he drifts away from the others.
Silence...
Wes: "What do you want?"
Giles: "I, uh, I've been meaning to talk to you. About what happened."
Wes steps away from the window of the conference room and faces him.
Giles: "I sincerely hope you don't take what happened yesterday as a personal attack. I know you cared about Angel and I want you to know that-- "
Wes: "No."
Giles: (startled) "I'm sorry?"
Wes: "He's a warrior. If he did fall in battle, I can accept that."
Giles stares at him intently.
Wes: "But I can't accept it until I know for sure."
Giles: "Yes, I, uh, we'll do whatever it takes to find out Wesley, but right now we need you."
Wes: "Y-Yes, I'll, uh, see what I can do to help, but--"
Giles: "Wesley."
Wes: "No."
Giles: "We need you here."
Wes: "I'll not become a Watcher, Giles."
Giles suddenly feels cold. Disappointed.
Wes: "The answer is no."
Giles: "W-Why?"
Wes: "Because I waited too long for it to happen. If you had asked me that two years ago my answer would've still been no, but I would've actually taken the time to consider it."
Giles: (looks down at the floor, and sharply) "That doesn't answer my question."
Wes: "I was a terrible Watcher. When I went to L.A. everything changed." (pauses) "I found a purpose. I learned a lot from that place, and lost a lot because of it."
Giles: "You're going back... aren't you?"
Wes: "After I finish healing my wounds... yes, I'm leaving."
Giles: "Well, I, uh, I'm pleased to say that I half-expected you to say that."
He turns around to leave.
Giles: (cont.) "Do whatever you have to Wesley, but find him. I trust you will."
He walks out of the conference room.
'Knock, knock'
The door opens.
He looks at his visitor with a glint of surprise in his eyes.
Lindsey: "I need to talk to you."
The door opens completely and he walks in. He turns around and looks outside cautiously, just as he shuts the door behind him.
-- End.
He knocks twice.
The door opens.
He looks at his visitor with a glint of surprise in his eyes.
Lindsey: "I need to talk to you."
Silence...
They sit around looking at each other. The past weeks have taken an incredible toll on them. The air feels thick. Their mouths dry. They sit around and look at each other. Nobody wants to utter a single word. Reality comes into play the moment it happens. The illusion will be gone.
'Knock, knock'
Giles: "Well, uh, let's get this meeting underway and done as fast as we can." (pauses) "Alright."
The door opens.
Giles: "Well, uh, we have to, uh, ahem assess the situation as fast as possible. As far as we can tell the crisis that befell the globe mere weeks ago has more or less ended. Cities around the world are still in need of major relief efforts. As far as we know, the only real damage done by this is--"
Wes: (looking at the center of the conference table) "That's enough."
Giles: "Wesley," (pauses) "I know that you--"
Wes: "Sorry, Rupert... I'm just having a rather difficult time in caring about anything but what you don't want to share."
Giles: "Yes, well, um--"
Gunn: "What happened to him?"
Everybody looks at Giles.
Giles: (after a pause) "I don't know."
Spike: (scratching the table with his nails) "But you do have theories... don't you?"
Giles: "Yes. I-I, um," (takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes) "I think whatever happened to him falls under a couple of possibilities. It could've been that he confronted the enemy and managed to deter them, or that he may have made a bargain." (pauses and puts glasses back on) "The latter seems more feasible."
Silence...
Xander: "So, what? He's dead?"
Wes looks at him with the corner of his eyes.
Xander: "Wait, I-I don't mean it like that."
Willow: "Xander."
Xander: "I didn't. I just... it just doesn't register."
Wes: "I don't believe he's dead."
Giles: "Why do you think so?"
Wes: "The Senior Partners wouldn't kill him. He's an integral part of the Apocalypse. It's been foretold that he is."
Giles: "But what makes you so sure that he hasn't already served his purpose in the Apocalypse?"
Wes: "Because this isn't--"
Spike: "Or that they weren't even talking about him in the first place?"
Wes: "Spike, I seriously don't believe this is the time for your ridiculous feud over who fulfills the damn prophecy!"
Willow: "But he's right."
Wes glares at her, slightly shocked.
Willow: (cont.) "I mean, it's not a pretty scenario, but the prophecy could be about Spike."
Wes: "He's been fighting to redeem himself for years... I simply can't accept--"
Giles: "You may have to."
Wes stares at Rupert coldly. He remains unfazed, focusing his vision on the others as they argue their points.
From across the table Lorne stares at Wes. He sees as he presses his hands against the cold oak-wood of the table. He can feel his anger and desperation build inside him, just as he drifts away from the others.
Silence...
Wes: "What do you want?"
Giles: "I, uh, I've been meaning to talk to you. About what happened."
Wes steps away from the window of the conference room and faces him.
Giles: "I sincerely hope you don't take what happened yesterday as a personal attack. I know you cared about Angel and I want you to know that-- "
Wes: "No."
Giles: (startled) "I'm sorry?"
Wes: "He's a warrior. If he did fall in battle, I can accept that."
Giles stares at him intently.
Wes: "But I can't accept it until I know for sure."
Giles: "Yes, I, uh, we'll do whatever it takes to find out Wesley, but right now we need you."
Wes: "Y-Yes, I'll, uh, see what I can do to help, but--"
Giles: "Wesley."
Wes: "No."
Giles: "We need you here."
Wes: "I'll not become a Watcher, Giles."
Giles suddenly feels cold. Disappointed.
Wes: "The answer is no."
Giles: "W-Why?"
Wes: "Because I waited too long for it to happen. If you had asked me that two years ago my answer would've still been no, but I would've actually taken the time to consider it."
Giles: (looks down at the floor, and sharply) "That doesn't answer my question."
Wes: "I was a terrible Watcher. When I went to L.A. everything changed." (pauses) "I found a purpose. I learned a lot from that place, and lost a lot because of it."
Giles: "You're going back... aren't you?"
Wes: "After I finish healing my wounds... yes, I'm leaving."
Giles: "Well, I, uh, I'm pleased to say that I half-expected you to say that."
He turns around to leave.
Giles: (cont.) "Do whatever you have to Wesley, but find him. I trust you will."
He walks out of the conference room.
'Knock, knock'
The door opens.
He looks at his visitor with a glint of surprise in his eyes.
Lindsey: "I need to talk to you."
The door opens completely and he walks in. He turns around and looks outside cautiously, just as he shuts the door behind him.
-- End.