Forever, Always, and Then Some

Chapter 36

 

Angel: Holtz.

Holtz: You do not look happy to see me.

Angel: Actually I’m not

Holtz: Don’t worry you won’t ever have to see me again. Or any once else for that matter.

Wesley steps forward and barely misses getting hit by a blot from Holtz’s crossbow.

Holtz: That was a warning. I am not here for anyone but the vampire.

Giles: We are not going to let that happen.

Giles and Gunn both fire bolts at Holtz. One misses and hits someone behind him and the other gets caught in his leather coat. Holtz retaliates by shooting a bolt at Angel, who ducks with Buffy still in his arms. The bolt flies past and imbeds in Spike’s shoulder.

Spike: Why is it whenever I’m around you bloody people, I’m always getting stuck with bloody arrows?

Holtz: I see we have two vampires here tonight.

Angel: (mentally) Cordy get Conner into the office. (mentally) Fred help Cordy.

The women make a dash for it. One of Holtz followers goes after them. Gunn dives on him and knocks him to the ground. The women make it to the safety and slam the door.

Holtz: Don’t worry about them.

Buffy: (mentally) Put me down.

Angel lowers her feet and she stands in front of him.

Angel: (mentally) Buffy can you get in there with Conner?

Buffy: (mentally) No, I am staying. (Buffy notices Holtz moving forward) Now hold still.

She lifts her hands up and hooks them around Angel’s neck. Using him as a base, she throws up both feet and kicks Holtz across the room.

Angel: Someone is feeling better.

Buffy: Much.

The Holtz crew attack and the AI team retaliate. Hand to hand combat ensues. Cordy leaves Fred with Conner and joins the fight. Spike is not able to fight the humans until one comes at him with a stake and he swings out to defend himself and discovers his chip is not working. Spike joins in the fray, evening the teams up. As the fight continues Angel has Holtz by the neck when a Holtz crew member tackles Angel. Holtz takes this advantage to leap onto Angel stake in hand. Buffy is too faraway to help.

Buffy: Angel!

Suddenly a body flies at Holtz and knocks him off Angel. Angel flips to his feet and is surprised to come face to face with his savior, Riley. With the addition of one more on the AI side, the Holtz team is outnumbered and they run out leaving Holtz. AI surrounds the vampire hunter. Angel and Spike grab his arms. Graham takes this moment to enter the hotel.

Graham: What is going on here?

Riley: I was just about to ask that?

Buffy: Graham? Well if you need to know, this fool came to kill us and we weren’t too cooperative.

Holtz: I came to kill the vampire, you all were just in the way.

Buffy: Actually you are in the way. Uh Graham, just wondering something, I know how your commanders love beings of unusual origins. Would they have any interest in a man born in the 1700s, living now in this century.

Graham: What is he? Vampire?

Buffy: No human, just some how just showed up in our time, isn’t that right Holtz.

Holtz: Haven’t we done this before? The last group you had take me away, found nothing and freed me.

Buffy: Oh but our government is much more thorough. I bet they can make up new experiments just for you. Graham?

Graham: Uh, are you serious? From the 1700s?

Angel: Oh yeah. You guys look up Daniel Holtz, husband of Caroline Holtz and father to Sarah and Daniel.

Holtz: Don’t you speak their names, demon. You have no right.

Angel: And you have no right to come into my home and terrorize my family either.

Fred takes that moment to walk out with a crying Conner. Buffy walks up and takes him.

Graham: Is that the vampire baby?

Riley: No, that is Buffy’s son. The one I told you about.

Buffy: Graham, about Holtz are you interested?

Graham: Let me make a call.

Graham walks outside to call the commanders on his cell phone.

Cordy: What is wrong with Conner?

Buffy: He is hungry and wet. And scared of course.

Cordy: Can’t you feed him?

Buffy: No, not after they pumped me full of whatever that was. My milk is no good.

Cordy: Oh, I can go to the store and get formula and bottles.

Buffy: Oh thank you, and diapers, I think his bag is lying in my front yard.

Spike: Uh no, it is in the jeep out front.

Buffy: My jeep is here?

Spike: How the hell do you think I got here?

Fred: I’ll go get it.

Wesley: No let me, don’t need you going out there with those others still on the loose.

Buffy: Cordy you can take the jeep

Spike: Uh it needs gas.

Angel: Take the car then.

Graham comes back in as Wesley and Cordy walk out. Wesley walks her to the car and she heads to the store.

Graham: They are sending a retrieval team.

Buffy: Do you know how long they will keep him.

Graham: If what you say is true, indefinitely. We are nothing if not thorough.

Wesley is getting the bag when he feels someone behind him. He twirls around.

Wesley: Lindsay? What are you doing here?

Lindsay: I just had to come and see if you found the woman and baby. If they are okay.

Wesley: Come inside and see for yourself.

Lindsay: No that is okay

Wesley: She will want to meet you, come on in.

Wesley and Lindsay head inside.

Wesley: Look what I found outside.

Wesley hands Buffy the diaper bag and she heads to the couch to change him.

Angel: Lindsay? Oh I want to thank you. If not for you we would never have found them.

Lindsay: I am glad that I was right.

Angel: Buffy, this is Lindsay McDonald, former employee of Wolfram & Hart. He led us to the compound.

Buffy: Hello Lindsay, I guess we owe you our lives.

Lindsay: Uh no problem. I guess that is the little one that they are after.

Buffy: This be him.

Lindsay: Why is he crying? Did they hurt him?

Buffy: No just wet, hungry and past his bedtime. But I got the wet taken care of. Now if Cordy can get back with some formula.

Lindsay: Ran out?

Buffy: No, I am nursing but after all the drugs they gave me, I don’t dare.

Hank takes that moment to come into the hotel.

Hank: Buffy, there you are.

Buffy: Hi dad, what are you doing here?

Hank: Willow called me. They have been looking for you for hours. They called here and on your cell phone and no answer, so they finally called me. I came over here to find out if your husband knew where you were. What is going on? Why is Conner crying?

Buffy: I better call them.

Graham’s people arrive about then.

Graham: Take him to the facility, I will be there as soon as I get some more information.

Soldier 1: Yes sir.

They take Holtz away.

Graham: Okay, can I get the complete story?

Angel: Riley, I think your friend forgot I don’t answer questions.

Graham: Well somebody better. You have a 200 plus year old human attacking you. You have what I assume was a kidnapping.

Angel: Pretty routine stuff for Angel Investigations.

Wesley: True.

Gunn: I agree.

Graham: So no one is going to fill me in.

Riley: Uh Graham I think we are the enemy here. Not likely they are going to work with us.

Angel: Oh and how come you two are still around. I thought I made myself pretty clear the other day.

Graham: Until we find out about the vampire baby then we have our orders.

Buffy walks back in

Hank: Did you get hold of them?

Buffy: Yes, they are concerned but fine now.

Cordy comes in.

Buffy: Look Conner, dinner has arrived.

Cordy: Let me heat one of these up for him.

Buffy: Thanks Cordy.

Riley: Lets go Graham. We can’t do anything more here.

Graham leaves reluctantly with Riley.

Spike: I am out of here too.

Angel: Not so fast Spike. I am not finished with you.

Spike: Well I am finished with this freak show. You have Buffy so confused she actually thinks the kid is hers and she can nurse him too. I don’t know what kind of spell you used but it can’t last forever.

Angel: Spike, you are an idiot. Giles, can I kill him now?

Giles: I don’t see why not.

Spike: What? Hey watcher, I fought by your side all summer and that is all I get. Just going to let him stake me.

Giles: After what you did to Buffy today, you best be lucky I don’t stake you myself.

Buffy: Everyone shut up. If anyone is going to stake him it will be me. But first I want him to answer a few questions.

Spike: Buffy, you can’t. You need me.

Buffy: Spike shut up and sit down. After I get Conner fed and in bed we are going to have a long talk and if I don’t get the correct answers, well we can just get out the vacuum cleaner for the remains.

Spike: You wouldn’t.

Buffy: Don’t test me, now sit down and shut up.

Angel walks over and grabs Spike and forces him into a chair in the office.

Angel: Stay.

Spike: I am not a dog.

Angel growls.

Cordy brings Buffy a bottle and she sits down to fed him. Hank walks up.

Hank: What happened tonight?

Buffy: Dad, I really don’t want to go into it. Can we talk tomorrow?

Hank: Buffy

Buffy: Please dad, it has been a rough night.

Hank: Okay but I expect an explanation.

Buffy: Call me in the morning, but not too early.

Hank: Night sweety.

He looks around and Angel is standing over Spike so he exits without speaking to him.

Lindsay is standing aside watching the activity.

Cordy: Lindsay? Where did you come from?

Lindsay: I came to see if you found the woman and child where I said.

Cordy: I guess you see we did. Your information was vital.

Lindsay: Glad to help. Who is she anyway?

Cordy: Buffy

Lindsay: I got that and I also heard what I assume was her dad say he came here to find her husband. I was just trying to figure out which one of the men is him.

Cordy: Oh you have? And who is it?

Lindsay: Not quite sure yet. I may be wrong but I am ruling out the black man, baby appears white, I think.

Cordy: He is.

Lindsay: Okay that leaves four others. Of course it is not Angel or the other vampire, Spike. That leaves Wesley or the old guy. I can’t see her with the old guy, he looks at her more like a father, but I also don’t see any real connection with Wesley.

Cordy: Which is your final choice?

Lindsay: I would have to go with the old guy.

Cordy: Giles?

Lindsay: Is that his name?

Cordy: Giles can you come here a second?

Giles walks over.

Cordy: Giles did you meet Lindsay.

Giles: Not officially. Hi am Rupert Giles.

Lindsay: Nice to meet you.

Giles: We would never be able to find her without your help. Thank you.

Cordy: Giles, Lindsay has been trying to figure out which of the men here is married to Buffy.

Giles: Oh he is? So Lindsay what is your choice.

Lindsay: I was thinking maybe you, but not after this little convo.

Giles: No not me. I am her watcher.

Lindsay: Watcher?

Giles: Watcher, I thought you Wolfram and Hart boys would know what a watcher is.

Lindsay: Only watcher I have ever heard of is the one who works with the slayer.

Giles: That is the one.

Lindsay: And Buffy is the slayer.

Cordy: Give the guy a gold star.

Lindsay: So if you are not the husband, I guess that leaves Wesley.

Cordy: Wesley want to come over here.

Wesley walks over.

Giles: Wesley, Lindsay is trying to figure out who is Buffy’s husband. He thought it was me.

Wesley laughs.

Giles: But now he thinks it is you.

Wesley laughs again.

Lindsay: Okay you guys are having fun with me. Anyone wanna tell me the truth.

Cordy: No way Lindsay, this is too much fun. Two strikes, ready to take another stab.

Lindsay looks at the three remaining males.

Lindsay: I know it is not the bleach blonde vampire, not if she intends on staking him. And Cordy already told me the baby is white. That only leaves Angel.

Cordy: Well he didn’t strike out at least.

Lindsay: You are kidding me. She is married to Angel……….Now I know why Wolfram & Hart want the kid.

Cordy: He is on a roll.

Buffy gets up having finished feeding Conner. She walks up to Angel.

Buffy: I am taking him to bed is the cradle still out or did you hide it again?

Angel: Same corner.

Buffy: Thought so. I will be back in a few. Spike, you better still be here.

Angel gives her a little kiss. Buffy walks out and walks over the others.

Buffy: Can I borrow someone to help me setup the cradle?

Giles: I will.

They walk off.

Lindsay: Question, how can he father a child? Not just that he is a vampire, but I thought he was a eunuch.

Angel: I am not a eunuch!

Cordy(laughs): Vampire hearing is amazing.

Lindsay: I forgot about that.

Lindsay walks over to Angel.

Lindsay: So that is your wife and child?

Angel: Yes and I do want to thank you. They are my life.

Lindsay: I guess after the little romp with Darla, didn’t break the curse you kept going.

Angel: You still haven’t gotten past that. Lindsay the woman could not love you. Without a soul, you can not love.

Spike: That is a lie.

Angel: No it isn’t. Even Darla told me that before she killed herself.

Lindsay: Darla is dead?

Angel: Sorry I thought you knew.

Lindsay: She killed herself? Why?

Angel: Long story. Better left untold.

Lindsay: Oh.

Buffy and Giles come back down.

Buffy: I guess it is time to deal with Spike. Can it wait till morning?

Giles: I am afraid not.

Buffy: Knew you were going to say that.

Buffy walks over to Spike.

Buffy: Spike, we need to talk. And be certain if you screw this up you are going to be one very large pile of dust.

© 2005 Tara