Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters that appear on the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, the WB and Mutant Enemy, Inc. The Ancient Ones, in particular the entity YogSothoth, as well as the character of Robert Blake first appeared in the Cthulhu mythos stories of the early twentieth century horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part Nine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACT 4, Scene 4. INT. The Library. Night
It is only a few minutes after the end of ACT 4, Scene 1
Howard is seated at a desk, his face buried in his hands. Cordelia is on the floor propped up against the check out desk. She is still wrapped in Howard's trench coat. Her face now has the paleness of death. Oz is beside her and is just standing up. He draws the coat a little tighter around her neck. He steps back and looks at her. His head droops.
There is a shimmering of light by the book stacks. The time pathway opens and out of the distortion Willow and Xander leap into the room. Xander's eyes fall on Cordelia instantly. Oz looks back sadly at Xander. At first, Xander doesn't move from where he is standing. He only gazes across the room at Cordelia.
XANDER
(in a whisper)
... Cordie...
Xander then walks slowly past Oz and kneels down beside Cordelia. Willow runs and throws herself in Oz's arms. She looks at him, her face an agony of questions.
WILLOW
... Oz?...
OZ
(quietly)
She's gone, Will... It was just a few minutes ago.
WILLOW
(putting her hand over her mouth to stifle her cry)
... no...
Xander is kneeling beside Cordelia. Gently he strokes her ashen face with his hand then runs it gently through her dissheveled hair.
XANDER
(in a whisper)
... Cordie... oh, Cordie...
OZ
(to Willow)
The thing came at us out of nowhere. It got HP by the throat. And then it went for me... And Cordelia went ballistic! Chopping off tentacles. She even tried to punch it's lights out when it knocked the sword out of her hands. Clawed it, gouged its eyes. Then before it could get me, she cut its head off.
Willow hugs Oz again. Xander, now silent, cradles Cordelia's head against his chest. He buries his face in her hair. He then strokes her cheeks as if trying to massage life back into the pale skin. Willow lets go of Oz and stands looking at Xander. Her heart aches for the pain her "best bud" is suffering. In desperation, she turns across the room to Howard.
WILLOW
HP, you can't do anything?
Howard lifts his face out of his hands. His eyes are red. He shakes his head and holds his hand up as if asking for silence but then clenches it in a fist and slams it down on the desk.
Xander gently lets Cordelia's head settle back to rest against the check out desk. He then stands up directly beside her. His arms hang loosely at his side as if they were paralyzed. Almost silently, he begins crying over her. The tears run down his face and fall on Cordelia. Some drop in her brown hair, several on her forehead and others run down her cheek.
Willow sees what is happening, and suddenly a flash of hope erases the despair from her face. She squeezes Oz's arm.
WILLOW
(whispering)
Oz! Look!
OZ
Ow!
WILLOW
Look! Xander's crying!
OZ
God, Willow, let the poor guy...
WILLOW
No, Oz! Look!
She turns to Oz almost shaking him.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Don't you remember? When Drusilla shot Xander and killed him? And Jonathan brought his soul back! Remember how he did it!... ."with the tears of those that love."... Xander's going to restore her soul!... just like she did his!... and he doesn't even know it!
Suddenly Oz understands Howard's earlier admonition.
OZ
(gazing across the room at Howard)
... the most powerful force in the universe...
Howard looks up from the desk again. Wonder fills his eyes as he watches Xander and Cordelia together.
HOWARD
(quietly, as if speaking to an invisible entity beside him)
... these really are the ones... you said they were...
One of Xander's tears runs down Cordelia's forehead and catches on the corner of her nose. Almost imperceptibly, her nose twitches and she gives a tiny involuntary sneeze. Her eye lids flutter and color begins returning to her face. She sighs deeply and her eyes open. Looking down at her, Xander stops sobbing. He is speechless, his face wet with tears. Cordelia weakly wipes the tears on her face with her hand. She turns her face up to look at Xander standing over her.
CORDELIA
(weakly)
Xander... are you drooling on me again?
Xander kneels back down beside her. He wipes his nose and his eyes on his sleeve.
XANDER
Yeah... sorry... you got any tissues?
CORDELIA
In my purse... but... I think that thing ate it.
Xander can't hold back anymore. He hugs Cordelia as hard as he can.
CORDELIA (cont'd)
Aaahhh!
Xander lets go of her.
XANDER
Sorry.
For a moment, Cordelia and Xander gaze deeply into each other's eyes.
XANDER (cont'd)
I can't Cordie, the soda machine's busted. But I'll run down to Stan's Market. I can get you a Dr. Pepper.
Xander tries to get up but before he can, Cordelia grabs him by the arm and pulls him back down.
CORDELIA
Thanks, that's okay... just stay with me for awhile.
She wraps her arms around him.
WILLOW
(whispering to Oz)
Did you see that! Buffy's right, they know what each other is thinking. They don't even talk anymore.
OZ
Weird!
WILLOW
(smiling)
It's so cute!
Howard stands up and walks towards one of the ceiling windows over the book stacks. His pace is slow and measured but his shoulders are bent as if he were carring a heavy weight.
OZ
Speaking of Buffy?
WILLOW
(quickly glancing around)
Where is Buffy?... HP?
XANDER
HP, what's happened to Buffy?
Howard does not turn to face them. Instead, he gazes up at the small rectangle of night sky visible through the window.
HOWARD
It's not over, yet. The past and present are secure. But everything now hangs on the future. I do not know what she is facing, but what is yet to be is all in her hands now.
XANDER
Well, don't worry. The Buffster can deal with it.
Howard turns to the others.
HOWARD
You all really believe in her.
XANDER
Of course! Buffy's Buffy. She's a little messed up, but that's normal on the Hellmouth. She's just had it real tough. She can't get anything to work right for herself. But still, she'd do anything for anyone else.
WILLOW
(thoughtfully)
HP... you sent me and Xander back to fight this thing in the past for a reason. You had Oz and Cordelia fight it here in the present for a reason. Why did you send Buffy to the future?... Will she find what she's been looking for?
HOWARD
What she will find, I don't know. But her answers are there. I pray they will bring her the peace she is seeking.
Willow moves away from Oz and walks slowly towards the spot in the room where the time distortion last appeared. She stands for a moment, looking at the empty air as if she were seeing far off into the years yet to come.
WILLOW
(very quietly)
Then God speed, Buffy. And come back to us soon.
HOWARD
(nodding in agreement)
Yes, Willow... God speed.
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
