Final Thoughts by Cheri

Chapter 23

 

Fade in: Interior Summer’s home

Dawn struggles with a vamp as he towers over her. He backhands her hard knocking her against the wall and laughs as she slides down in surprise and pain. Sounds of fighting are heard as he descends upon her ready for a taste. She watches him and just as he is within arms reach, she tucks and rolls between his legs. She jumps up and they both spin to face each other.

Vamp: If I wasn’t in such a rush to kill you, I might have to be impressed.

Dawn: You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Vamp: Neither have you Newbie.

He lunges and she ducks under his arms and kicks a leg out causing him to stumble into the door. She takes advantage and kicks him inside her bedroom. He lands hard on the bed and seems taken aback.

Vamp: Wow, I’d heard about the Slayer’s fetish but I never thought…

He doesn’t get to finish before Dawn grabs a coat rack and slams it down on his head. It shatters and he jumps up to rub his head.

Vamp: See, now why do you want to piss me off? Here I was just trying to do my part in the final battle and you won’t even play fair.

Dawn eyes something on the floor and steps back when he comes closer.

Dawn: It’s all useless you know. My sister is going to take all of you down. She’s with the First right now. Soon, you’ll go back to the hell you belong in.

Vamp: Ooh, big words from such a little mouth. (sounds offscreen) Wait, I think that was your buddies getting taken down. Not much fun when the good guys don’t even put up a fight.

Dawn: So why bother? Isn’t there more fun to be had elsewhere?

Vamp: Oh you don’t get it do you? See, the Slayer screwed up. She went and got herself all kinds of groupies this go round. All the slayers before her, they knew. You walk the path alone. One slayer, the chosen one, to fight evil and vampires. But Little Miss Have-a-life screwed with the balance one too many times. Now it’s not over until every last one of you is gone. She’s taught you all too much, given you too much power. Only one way to fix it.

He lunges again and this time grabs her by the throat. She gasps for air as her feet are lifted off the ground. He smiles sadistically and she kicks a foot up. He grabs it with his free hand.

Vamp: What, you think I’m stupid? Like I haven’t seen that trick a million times.

Dawn: No tricks. (Head butts him)

He stumbles once and drops her. She steps down hard and something flies up into her hands. He barely focuses again before she drives the broken piece of coat rack into his heart.

Dawn: Just sticks.

She doesn’t wait for the dust to fall before running out to help the others.

 

Cut to Cave

Pan across collapsed walls, piles of debris, dust still settling. No movement is seen anywhere for several frames until finally, some small rocks slide down a large pile of boulders. Zoom in on slight movement, pained and slow.

 

Cut to Cemetary

Willow stands high on a crypt looking down over the group of warriors below her.

Spike, Faith, Giles, Xander, Connor and Cordy are waiting for her to speak. She glances over and sees the others coming to join.

Xander: What is it? What do you see?

Faith: Wesley.

Giles: My Lord, what’s happened to them?

Xander finally sees Cordy look and follows her line of sight to see Wesley, Fred and Anya walking slowly towards them. Wesley is limping and still holding his arm. Anya looks white as a sheet but trudges on ignoring her slinged arm. Fred has dried blood on her face and is the strongest of the three holding an axe but looking all too small against the darkness.

Spike: What the hell tore into the lot of you?

Fred: The beast is dead. But he’s been replaced by dozens of others. We escaped from the house to find Buffy.

Giles: What about Dawn?

Cordy: And Lorne?

Wesley: Gunn stayed back as a diversionary tact to aid in our escape. I’m afraid Dawn insisted on standing by his side.

Xander: She’s a kid! You just let her stay?

Anya: She’s not just a kid Xander. She hasn’t been for a very long time. Innocence is the first thing to go in our line of work.

Giles: She’ll be fine. Dawn is far more dangerous than any of us give her credit for.

Faith: And the green guy? Where’s he?

Fred: He stayed to fight too.

Cordy: Lorne? Lorne stayed behind to fight? (pause) My God the world really is ending.

Willow: Enough.

Everyone turns to see Willow looking down at them sternly. Her mouth unmoving.

Willow (V.O.) : It’s time. No more talking. Everyone here has a job to do. No choices, no discussion.

Cordelia: Willow isn’t talking. How is Willow not talking but still talking?

Giles: Not now Cordelia.

Fred: Telepathy. The power to achieve that is…

Willow: Not important right now. Listen to me. This is all we have. Look around you, all of you. We are all that’s left.

The group scans silently.

Willow: Buffy and Angel are gone.

Connor: You don’t know that.

Willow: Stop interrupting me! The strongest champions this world has ever known are gone. Stop thinking of ways to save them, or banking on them saving us. Neither will happen. The First has taken them, it thinks it has us beat.

Xander: If it has Buffy and Angel, we are beat.

Willow: Then go home and wait to die. (pause) If you don’t want to fight, go. I don’t have time for hesitation. We have too much to do.

Giles: And what is it that you plan to do?

Willow: Stop it. We’re going to stop the First once and for all.

The group stares up contemplating the words.

 

Cut to Cave

While the rocks keep sliding down and it is obvious something is trying to get out, the cave fills with a blinding white light. It illuminates like day and without a sound, the rocks part and lift off it’s hidden victims. Angel, who had been trying to claw his way out startles and closes his eyes against the bright. Instinctively, he reaches to cover her small frame.

The light seems to wake her and her eyes open and she jumps. Angel holds her even tighter against him and the light creates a vortex in which a child steps through. Once she’s standing in front of them, it closes and the light fades to barely fill the room.

Angel loosens his grasp on Buffy and she raises her head slowly.

Buffy: Angel?

Angel: Sshh.

He sits up slowly pulling her with him and sees the girl.

Angel: You.

Girl: So this is she.

Buffy: She?

Angel: Yes. You know her?

Girl: All know of this one.

Buffy: Where have I heard that before?

Her tone gets Angel’s attention and he glances sharply at her.

Angel: Buffy? Are you…I mean is it you?

Buffy: (beat) Um, duh? And who’s your little friend?

Girl: She doesn’t remember.

Angel: How? Why?

Buffy stands up and Angel stands beside her to look down at the girl.

Girl: It will come. You’ll need to be ready.

Buffy: Doesn’t remember what? Can someone talk to me please?

Angel: I’m not sure myself. (Back to girl) You’re dead, the Beast killed you. I saw it.

Girl: You of all people should know death isn’t ever the end. Only a passageway to another existence.

Angel: So who sent you?

Girl: Not yet. First…

Buffy cries out and grabs her head. Angel grabs her in surprise.

Girl: Let it be.

Angel: What’s happening to her?

Girl: She’s receiving the truth.

Buffy: No! Oh God please stop!

Her head snaps back and Angel sees that her eyes are changing rapidly. Colors and shapes, it’s faster than he can react to.

Girl: It’s never been done before. This is more than any has ever known.

Angel: Known what? What are you doing to her?

Buffy whimpers slightly and begins gasping for breath.

Angel: Make it stop. It’s killing her!

Girl: Stopping is impossible. Just as living will be.

Angel: What?

Buffy finally sucks in a deep breath and her eyes seem to focus for the first time. The first thing she sees is Angel.

Buffy: Oh my God.

Angel: Buffy? Talk to me. What is it? Are you hurt?

Buffy turns to look at the girl.

Buffy: Why are They doing this?

Girl: Slayers are not the only chosen ones. Everyone is chosen for a path.

Buffy: I can’t. They can’t ask this of me. Not now.

Girl: They never ask. It is not Their way.

Angel: Whose way? What are you talking about?

Buffy: I’m not leaving them.

Girl: You already have. Both of you. It will be done without you.

Angel: What will be done? Damnit, someone tell me!

Girl: You fought for her. You made your choice, and she was it. As she was so many times before. Now there will be no more choices. Only to watch.

She raises a hand and the rocks shift to form a square that comes alive and they are able to see them.

 

Cut to Cemetery

Faith: No offense Willow, but unless you’ve got some inside knowledge that we’re not aware of, I gotta ask how we’re supposed to do this.

Willow: You’re the Slayer Faith. Truly. Now you’re all that’s left. The power isn’t shared or divided, you’re it. And you’ve grown afraid of it. Just like I was afraid of mine, now’s the time to embrace it.

Xander: Last time she embraced her power she ended up in the big house. Watch what you wish for there Will.

Willow: Cordelia, you are key. You were a higher being. Whatever happened to bring you back, you have a power you have yet to realize. (turns to look at Connor) Connor, you know your strengths, but you have no idea what you’re capable of. There are forces at work inside you that none of the rest have any concept of. (then on to Spike) Spike, you were the closest of all of us to the First. You have a knowledge of the dark forces that not many can claim. You worked hard to turn your back on it. Now is the time to use it for good.

Xander: What does any of this have to do with saving the world?

Willow: (Ignoring him) Anya, a demon twice over and though no power remains from that time, you hold a very important weapon in the fight. Giles and Wesley, the combined knowledge and training you have is imperative now. You’ve always known how to find answers. Now you only need recognize what’s truth. (pauses and looks at Xander, smiling) And Xander. Simple Xander.

Xander: Everyone else gets ego stroking and I get simple. This is so typical.

Willow: Xander will be the leader.

Everyone starts speaking simultaneously.

Faith: Excuse me?

Fred: What?

Spike: Not bloody likely!

Giles: Surely you can’t be serious.

Wesley: Preposterous.

Anya: Are you trying to get us all killed?

Cordelia: Xander couldn’t lead us to the bathroom.

Connor: Is he a warrior?

Cordelia scoffs.

Xander: You do all realize I can hear you right?

Willow: Everyone shut up. You all posess inherent abilities and knowledge that Xander may not be able to match but what he can do is infinitely more important. Xander, it’s up to you.

Xander swallows hard as every pair of eyes looks at him in complete disbelief.

Cut to Summers Home

Gunn kicks one vamp off him just as a demon jumps him from behind. It takes him by the neck and bends to taunt in his ear.

Demon: From beneath you it devours. The earth will spit forth it’s most vile creatures until all that threaten us is annihilated.

Gunn: Oh yeah? Well, if you’re the most vile it has to offer, I’m thinking we’re gonna fare decent.

He bends down flipping the thing over him and it lands hard at his feet. He stabs down quickly with the dagger and buries it deep in it’s throat. With one twist, the head lolls sideways barely attached.

Lorne: Gunn! Needing help over here!

Gunn spins to see Lorne being choked by another vamp. He starts to run for an assist but suddenly the vamp is dusted and Lorne catches himself from falling and turns to see Dawn smiling at them.

Dawn: Didja miss me?

Gunn: I swear, between you and Connor, I see why teenagers get the bad rap.

Dawn: Hey!

Lorne: Kids, what do you say we discuss the downward trend of todays youth when we’re not fighting to the death with the spawn of the First evil?

Gunn: These guys just keep coming.

Dawn: One of them said they’re not going to stop until we’re all dead.

Gunn: I heard the same thing.

Lorne: Well that’s not conducive to the calm now is it?

Gunn: Dawn, what’s the nearest escape route?

Dawn: Front door, or the gaping hole where the door used to be.

Lorne: You mean in there where they keep coming in at?

Gunn: There’s got to be another way.

Dawn: Buffy’s window.

Lorne: Huh?

A loud crash is heard and Gunn runs to check the hall.

Gunn: Ok, now they’re just being messy.

Dawn: Buffy’s room has a window. Angel used to come in, she used to sneak out. It was a thing.

Lorne: So how do we get there?

Gunn: I’m thinking we make a run for it.

Dawn: We’ll hop the railing on the stairs. If we go together, we can cover each other.

Gunn: Ok, I think we gave the others enough lead time. I’m saying we make for the window and get out.

Lorne: Here here.

Dawn: Ready?

Lorne: Does it matter?

She runs around the corner and the others follow her.

 

Cut to Cave

Angel: We have to help them.

Girl: (laughs) Silly one you are.

Angel: Why show us unless we can help?

Girl: Why are you not telling him?

Angel looks from her to Buffy.

Buffy: I’m not doing this to him. Tell Them I said forget it.

Angel: Forget what? Do what?

Girl: They will fail. Everyone you both love will fail and they will suffer a far worse fate if you choose the alternative. Champions are champions at all costs. No excuses, no way out.

Buffy: And if I do it, then what’s to stop me from making the same mistake again?

Girl: (points at Angel) Him.

Angel: Me? How can I stop anything? I don’t know what either of you is talking about!

He’s obviously growing frustrated and Buffy puts a hand on his arm in an instinctively familiar manner. The girl sees it and smiles.

Buffy: How?

Girl: There is only one thing stronger than the First. Since the beginning of time, it has existed. But it’s been buried under the pain and the anger of this world. Distorted in this reality, it’s power was neglected. But you always knew. And the First knew it. So when you came back, it was only possible because of this one thing.

Buffy: Love.

Angel: Love?

Girl: You killed him once, sent him back to the hell he tried to release on this earth. But it was love that brought him back. The only thing stronger than true evil. And you gave up your own life for it. A different kind of love, but love all the same. And now when your soul should be gone, and you should be one with the First, it is love that holds you here.

Angel: So it worked? She’s saved?

Girl: You saved her soul. But the cost is one you might not be prepared for.

Angel: We can fight the First now. Together we can fight it. You have to let us out of here.

Girl: It is not me that holds you here Silly.

Angel: Then who?

The girl looks from him to Buffy.

Angel: Buffy?

Buffy lowers her head and tries to not cry. Angel touches her shoulder and she breaks down.

Buffy: No. I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to do this. Please.

Girl: The choice is not yours. It is done. It was done before you were born.

Angel: What the hell are you talking about? Buffy, talk to me.

Buffy: They showed me everything.

Angel: Showed you what?

Buffy looks at him, tears in her eyes.

Buffy: I was never supposed to find you. They showed me. Since the beginning, the first slayer. I was so wrong all along.

Angel: But you did find me. And I found you. And we can fight this thing and we’ll beat it.

Buffy: I can’t.

Angel: What?

Buffy: Why didn’t you tell me?

Angel: I don’t understand.

Buffy: The prophecy. You knew for so long what could happen. Why didn’t you tell me?

Angel looks at the girl and she nods slightly.

Angel: No Buffy. I couldn’t trust it. Look at Connor. So many prophecies, so many interpretations, there’s no way to trust them at face value.

Buffy: You can trust this one. I saw it.

Angel: What are you saying?

Buffy: (looks at girl) I’ve made my choice.

Angel: What choice? What are you talking about?

Girl: They won’t be able to bring you back this time. No spells or dreams or reversals, not even love. They won’t want to.

Buffy: I know.

Girl: And you think it wise?

Buffy: How long?

Girl: Not very. I’ll go and prepare. I love watching this part.

Buffy glares at her and she disappears through the rock formed screen. Buffy turns to look up at Angel.

Angel: I don’t like it when you make decisions on your own.

Buffy: But that’s what we always did isn’t it? I decided to kill you. You decided to leave me. After all our promises and heartfelt vows, we always chose alone.

Angel: Maybe that was our mistake. Maybe the only way to beat this thing is together. Once and for all.

Buffy: I can’t let you do that.

Angel: You don’t get to make that call.

Buffy: Actually I do. That’s what she gave me. I saw everything in the past, all the slayers, the entire line and I realized something. It was me that was it’s biggest threat. I’m not supposed to be here.

Angel: But you are.

Buffy: Yes I am. And the line has been annihilated. One by one, they’re getting picked off. And there’s only one way to stop it.

Angel: No. You are not sacrificing yourself again. I wasn’t there last time, I am now and it’s not going to happen.

Buffy: Angel.

She reaches up to touch his face and he takes her hand in his. They look at one another for only seconds before they fall into each other. Their mouths searching hungrily for another answer.

 

Cut to Cemetery

Xander: Willow, I think the blacky side of you is clouding your judgement. I mean, I appreciate the vote of confidence but…

Willow: You will lead us Xander. You will lead us in the fight or we will all die along with the rest of the world.

Giles: Willow, I really don’t…

Willow: The First knows how to fight us. And it knows how to beat us. Why? Because we each have something to offer from it’s world. Spike, Faith, Giles, Cordelia, myself, we’ve all tasted it. The First can read us and play us all like puppets. But Xander is the only one that it can’t control. He has never wavered. Not truly. The First has no defense against him. Xander acts out of love, pure and simple. The First is helpless against that.

The others look at one another and realize that she’s making sense.

Faith: So what’s next on the agenda?

No one answers and she turns to Xander.

Faith: Well?

Xander looks wideeyed while the others struggle to accept this latest turn of events.

Xander: Willow…

Willow: You must choose from within your heart Xander. Yours is the strongest of us all. We’ve all been broken. You must lead us to the battle. You will choose the weapons and the teams and the strategy. You can do it.

Xander looks around once before closing his eyes, Willow sees this and smiles. She lifts her hand and an energy shoots down from the sky and fills him. No one else sees it before he opens his eyes with a renewed determination.

Xander: Spike, take Anya and Fred and go to what’s left of the Initiative. Giles, you and Faith go to the high school. You’ll find what you need in the basement. Cordelia, you and Wesley go to Buffy’s. Find the others and help them. Willow, go to the caves. Open it up. Whatever it takes, you get them out. Connor, you come with me.

Connor: Where?

Xander: We’re going to fix what we did wrong. All along, we’re going to fix it all. The Hellmouth has evil oozing from it. We’ve beat it back so many times before. Buffy said we had to take the fight to it. We’ll go where we won before. We’ll draw strength from it.

Cordelia: Who else is not a fan of this whole ‘led by Xander’ idea?

Xander: You don’t have to be a fan Cord. Just get your higher ass over to Buffy’s and help our friends. Once the coast is clear, meet us back here. The plot over by those trees.

Wesley: Why there?

Xander: Don’t worry about why. Just go.

Xander walks away leaving Connor no choice but to follow. The smaller groups head out still unsure.

Connor: What exactly are we supposed to accomplish here?

Xander: That’s a very good question. But excuse me if I’m not itching to explain to the fruit of Angel’s undead loins.

Connor: That’s just gross.

Xander: My thoughts exactly.

 

Cut to Summer’s front yard. Dawn drops first rolling into the hedges. Lorne is next and groans loudly when he hits. Gunn follows only to cover Lorne’s mouth with his hadn. Lorne swats it away and stands brushing himself off.

Lorne: (whispers) Do you have any idea what that fall does to this kind of material?

Dawn: Look.

They look up and see two demons fighting to get through the window first. Dawn grabs the duffel bag she had dropped just before and runs into the night.

Lorne: She’s just a little go-getter isn’t she?

Gunn: I kind of dig it. Not many kids have that kind of brass ones you know?

Lorne: Vivid…in a very unpleasant way. Move!

They take off just as the first falls barely missing them.

 

Cut to Cave

Buffy and Angel kiss passionately for another moment before she finally breaks away only to stare at him.

Buffy: You’re going to be human one day.

Angel: No. We don’t know that.

Buffy: (smiles slightly) I do. But you shouldn’t think about that. You have a lot of work to do. A lot of help to give yet. But promise me one thing.

Angel: What?

Buffy: Promise me you’ll look for me.

Angel: Where are you going? I told you…

Buffy: It’s not my sacrifice to give Angel. I’m not dying, I’m just going away. It’s the only chance they have.

Angel: You’re not making any sense.

Buffy: It was always about the balance. It wasn’t evil messing with it. It was me. But They’re giving me one last chance to fix it. And you can’t help me. You have to go with the others.

Angel: I’m not leaving you Buffy. Not now. Not when…

Buffy: Sshh. I know. There’s so much for us to say, and never enough time to say it. You have to focus on the First though. I can’t help fight. I can never fight again.

Angel: What are you saying?

Buffy: If I stay here, if I fight it would never stop. I’ve given the First the opening it needs to never lose. And you would all suffer. One by one, you would all be beaten, and I can’t let that happen. I won’t.

Angel: So what’s the alternative?

Buffy: I’m giving it up.

Angel: Giving what up?

Buffy: All of it. They will take my power, my strength and I won’t be a slayer ever again. Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be dead.

Angel: (Angry) No!

Buffy: Listen to me. I have to erase the gliche in the slayer line. They know how to do it. It’s already being done. It can’t be stopped. Just please promise me, you’ll find me when it happens. Seeing you alive, feeling your heart beat. You have to show me.

Angel: I already have once. Now tell me what’s going to happen.

Buffy looks at him strangely for an instant and then throws her arms around him. He squeezes and she begins to cry silently.

Angel: Please Buffy, talk to me.

Buffy: (pulls back to look at him) Tell them I’m sorry. Tell them it’s better this way and don’t give up. What we’ve done has meant something.

Angel: You’re scaring me. Why won’t you tell me what’s happening?

Buffy: Dawn’s alone Angel. Take her to LA. My dad is there. But he won’t understand who she is. Promise me you’ll watch out for her.

Angel: Of course. But…

Buffy: And tell Spike it wasn’t him. It was me.

Angel bristles at this.

Buffy: It’s not important now, but Spike can help. He’s a good man Angel. He’s like you in so many ways. But he could never find his place. Maybe you can help him do that. And Xander, Willow, Giles, all of them. Oh God…

She starts to cry again and he takes her in his arms.

Girl: (appears again) It’s time.

Angel: No!

Buffy: One more minute.

Girl: It will never be enough. He must go.

Buffy: Angel.

Angel: (kisses her forehead) Think about what you’re doing.

Buffy: I did. It’s the only way. Watch Faith. She’s going to have even more power than before. Keep her straight.

Girl: Now.

A light shines onto Angel. He startles as it appears to be sunlight.

Angel: What? (looks around)

Girl: Of course you wouldn’t go willingly.

Buffy: It will kill him!

Girl: Only if he stays.

Buffy: Angel go now!

Angel: (sliding away from the sunlight) No. Not without you.

Buffy looks at the opening behind them and up to the light spreading more and more by the second. She grabs Angel by the shoulders.

Buffy: I love you Angel.

Angel: (touches her face) I love you too Buffy. Always.

Buffy smiles and kisses him hard.

Buffy: Don’t forget your promise.

Before he can respond she shoves him with all her strength backwards and he’s sucked through the portal the girl created. It closes behind him and Buffy stares at the emptiness, tears streaming down her face.

The girl steps forward and holds out a hand.

Girl: There, there. Don’t be scared.

Buffy looks down and takes her hand slowly. She’s pulled away still trying to see where Angel vanished.

 

Cut to mansion

Connor: Angel lived here?

Xander: Back in the day. Angelus too. It was a whole thing.

Connor: So why are we here?

Xander: Cause I’m following my heart. And I can’t express the ookiness that it led me here.

Connor: But it’s abandoned. Looks like no one’s been here for years.

Xander: We’ve had a lot of end of the world battles Connor. One of them, Buffy had to fight your dad. It happened here. I sent the others to the sight of each other battle we’ve fought and won.

Connor: Why?

Xander: Well…

At that moment the light appears and Angel falls from the ceiling. He hits the floor hard and looks up at Connor and Xander standing over him.

Xander: There’s one reason.

Fade to Black