Act III<\/b><\/p>\n
\nScene 1<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Books. He loved them and hated them. Bound to them like a worn, leather cover–one with too many leftover dirty, oily fingerprints. All the facts that made up his pained brain were culled from these mistresses. So why were they so utterly useless to him? He hated them for letting him down over and over again and loved them for saving him just as many times.<\/p>\n
But when it mattered most, the true answers were always just out of his reach in some long-lost scroll God hid just to tease him. God, our Father. Why were fathers always testing us and when do our fathers stop being gods? Wesley suspected it was when you joined the club. And if that was the case, he prayed for sterility.<\/p>\n
But whether or not God was testing him didn’t matter any more. God was a wanker. If God would let the best friend he’d ever had die for no apparent good reason, then God could suck him off and leave a tip.<\/p>\n
True, he had thought it best to let Cordelia go. He was convinced she was already gone. That\u2019s what the facts told him. And he’d almost done it. He’d almost given up on her because he thought it was what was best for everyone else. When truly it was because he didn’t want to fail yet again. He didn’t want to be the one who couldn’t find the only way to bring her back and, thus, be the one who killed her.<\/p>\n
But when Angel took that burden from him, he was ashamed. He thought he would have to convince Angel to accept Cordy’s death when, in actuality, he found himself needing to hear the argument. The words Angel spoke were real and true on many levels but something rang false to him.<\/p>\n
To honor her by giving up on her wasn’t right. Cordelia was loving and strong, but she wasn’t completely altruistic. Yes, she loved life and would want us to be happy, but sacrificing her own life to make us happy wasn’t Cordelia either. Not if there was any way around it. If Cordelia was anything she was a woman who knew how to bargain\u2026with demons, with destiny, with the shop girl at Costco. She could haggle her way into heaven, hell, or back to her family and wind up being paid to do it.<\/p>\n
Yes, he had complete faith that Cordelia would find a way. All he had to do was lend a little help. There was<\/i> a book or scroll or hieroglyphic or rune or prophesy someplace that would give him the answer. Wes was sure it existed\u2026because all things possible exist. And this was possible.<\/p>\n
And now that he was resolved to find that one possibility, he felt he knew where to begin. Her body was still functioning albeit with the help of machines, so that meant her spirit was the problem. It wasn’t a question of merely putting her soul back in as they had done several times with Angel. They’d already tried that.<\/p>\n
There was something blocking her soul’s reentry or holding it back. Most probably a malevolent force of some kind, but he had exhausted all known references to such an entity and had already tried the associated unblocking spells. The holding back forces were just as powerful, and already explored, discussed and cast out ad infinitum.<\/p>\n
What would keep Cordy from returning? What would stop Cordelia Chase, queen bitch of all Sunnyhell and pretty powerful half-demon seer, from doing anything? Nothing. Nothing alive or dead, holy or unholy could stop her. She was herself a force of nature and\u2026<\/i>
\n“Eureka!!”<\/p>\n
\n
Scene 2<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
‘”Move it asshole! Haven’t you ever seen a broken down piece of crap Honda before?” She leaned her head out the window as she passed the piece of crap owner. “Hey! Buy American next time!”<\/p>\n
Fred was in mission mode and never felt more alive. Now if all these idiots on Vermont would just realize her mission was more important than their pathetic lives and get out of her way, everything would fall into place.<\/p>\n
Man, oh man. Please let it be Cordy. Please, please, please. I’ll shave my head and do the chicken dance at my weddin’ if you’ll let this\u2026<\/i> “Yeah, same to you buddy!” She flipped off some frickin’ tourist and squeezed her Jag (Ford product, thank you) between a slow ass Rolls and an intimidated Camry.Typical LA. Any time you’ve got to be someplace yesterday, every idiot in town gets in a car to stop you. Now if it would just rain, hell would be complete.<\/i><\/p>\n
“Damn stop lights! How many can you put in one block and why do they all turn red right when I get to ’em?”<\/p>\n
It seemed like everything was going against her. Maybe she wasn’t meant to get there. Maybe\u2026<\/p>\n
“Oh, God. What if its some kinda trap? What if the PTBs are trying to tell me to turn back?” Maybe I should call Angel and have him meet me there.<\/i>“No, no, no idiot. Not Angel. What if it is just some kid playing a prank? Angel would probably gut him for gettin’ his hopes up. No. Definitely not Angel.”<\/p>\n
Gunn, Fred or Lorne? Not Lorne. Not unless he could sing ’em to death. And Wes probably wouldn’t believe that it was anything. He’s convinced she’s already gone.<\/i> “Guess that leaves Gunn. The way he’s been lately, I’m sure he’d jump at the chance to dismember something.”<\/p>\n
She reached for the speed dial button on her handless car phone and made the turn onto Santa Monica at the same time. Silver Lake and hope was only minutes away.<\/p>\n
Scene 3<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
The stalking was loads of cool. Almost as good as the kill. But the after slaughter crash was the big jimmy jam of bad. It didn’t used to be that way. Gunn could remember a time when killing the bad guy was just the beginning of the feel good. The slaps on the backs, the high fives, the knuckle and full-body slams. Then came the need for pizza and tacos and the come down from the adrenalin rush was slow and cushioned by laughs and smiles and\u2026friends.<\/p>\n
An unexpected growl gurgled in his throat and his eyes flashed yellow. He shook his head and the thoughts of past glories and friends were gone. The acrid smell of fresh blood was on his hands now and it stimulated his need to have more. More justice. More of the righteous fight. He had four demon lairs on his list to clean out tonight, and he was just marking one off, So long Mr. or Ms. Phenologic demon. Don’t let the door hit ya\u2026”<\/i>, when his cell phone went off.<\/p>\n
Dammit. It’s Fred. When is that girl gonna let go of the string.<\/i> “Yeah, Fred. Whaddup?”<\/p>\n
“Charles! Thank God you’re there. I need you to meet me at Cordy’s old apartment in Silver Lake.”<\/p>\n
“Why? I’ve got business of my own to take care of tonight.”<\/p>\n
Fred didn’t have time for any bullshit from him. “Charles, please. Can’t you do it just because I asked and I’ll explain later?”<\/p>\n
Gunn wanted to just hang up. Fred’s nostalgic trip down Coma Cordy lane was so far down his list of priorities it didn’t even make the wannabe list.<\/p>\n
“Fred, does this have anything to do with killin’ something, because I’ve got my freak on and I don’t wanna get unfreaked yet.”<\/p>\n
She couldn’t believe him. I loved this idiot?<\/i> “Yes, Charles. There’s gonna be all kinds of opportunities for freakiness. Your freak will be more than satisfied. Trust me.”<\/p>\n
“Be there in ten.” He closed the phone and jammed it back in his pants pocket. He thumbed the blacklist with three remaining hits on it and then stuffed it next to the phone. \u201cGuess it\u2019s your lucky night numbers two through four. Best enjoy it while you can.\u201d He picked up his duffle bag of weapons and jogged to his car.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t bother him one bit that an arm, head and slabs of meat sliced from the once noble and once living Phenologic demon would be left for the garbage man or nearest playing child to find in the morning. It didn\u2019t cross his mind.<\/p>\n
Scene 4<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Fred heard the click of the hang up and shook her head. \u201cAsswipe.\u201d Her anger over the traffic and now Gunn\u2019s attitude was slowly turning into apprehension. Pissin\u2019 off Gunn might not be a good idea. Maybe she just shoulda explained the whole thing. If he gets here and sees there\u2019s nothin\u2019 to kill except an already dead ghost… \u201cWell maybe he won’t actually kill me. Maybe just break a limb or two.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shivered at that thought because part of her knew it could actually happen. She couldn\u2019t be sure when Charles had turned into a machine just going through the motions. But she was sure something changed him the first day they visited Wolfram and Hart. She\u2019d even tried to talk to him about it, but he told her she was crazy and to leave him alone. And she had left him alone because the way he had said it…the emptiness in his eyes… had chilled her to her core.<\/p>\n
So another member of the family was gone just like that. First Cordy and then Charles. Angel was slipping away by the second. Wesley hadn\u2019t really come back to them completely before Wolfram and Hart and he was just…well…British. Lorne was the only one she felt any warmth from, but he was so wrapped up in all the celebrities he knew or could meet at any moment, that she rarely saw him.<\/p>\n
Cordelia wouldn\u2019t have let this happen. Cordy would\u2019ve fought like hell to keep \u2018em together and probably out of Wolfram and Hart completely. Fred\u2019s shoulders sagged at the realization that she was not Cordy and never would be.<\/p>\n
The rekindling of her feelings of helplessness was the last straw. She felt the anger rising again and tasted bile in her throat. \u201cThere\u2019s only one Cordy and we need her! You hear that you goddamn powers? Don\u2019t mess with certifiable here because I may just have to open me up a portal aimed right at your ass and kick it! \u201d<\/p>\n
Well, maybe I do have just a little Cordy in me.<\/i> She smiled to herself and then felt the car jerk to a stop. Her eyes shifted back into focus, and she realized she had managed to maneuver her car to the apartment without any conscious effort. Now all she had to do was wait for Gunn and get a big ax out of the trunk just in case.<\/p>\n
\n
Scene 5<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cI told you they\u2019re coming, Dennis. Fred and Gunn. Although Gunn is giving me some serious heebie jeebies. That dude is messed up and once I get back, I\u2019ve got some glowy house cleaning to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t Angel coming? Not that I want to see him again. He doesn\u2019t deserve you, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one deserves me, Dennis. I\u2019m more like a plague than a reward. Well, when I put it that way, maybe Angel does deserve me.\u201d She laughed and it felt strange. \u201cHey, look at that. I can laugh and I kinda shimmer when I do. Do you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I\u2019m not like you. I\u2019m just a regular ghost. Dead and invisible. You\u2019re not dead, just disembodied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I get that. Kinda comes with the gig…the whole knowledge thing. My knowledge doesn\u2019t happen to include volumes about ghosts though.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think we have time for another song before they get here? I\u2019ve really missed singing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordy felt his sigh and hated to disappoint him, but she had to. \u201cNo, sweetie, no time. We\u2019ve got to go over it one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got it. I may be dead, but I\u2019m not a retard. Gee whiz, I graduated high school you know. Plus I\u2019ve been doing this communicating with the living from a different plane a lot longer than you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDennis. What\u2019s the first thing you\u2019re going to say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDammit, Cordelia!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not it. And stop doing your Angel impression. I don\u2019t have time for jokes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGee, I don\u2019t know. Was it something like, \u2018Boo\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so glad I got to know the funny Dennis. \u2018Cause when I die and leave your ass here, I\u2019ll know exactly what I\u2019m not gonna miss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cordelia could feel the equivalent of Dennis scuffing his shoe on the ground and his humphing. She should feel bad, but this was too important. \u201cDennis, stop pouting and tell me what you\u2019re going to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGuess you\u2019ll have to be surprised. They\u2019re here!\u201d<\/p>\n
Scene 6<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
There was knocking. Steady, insistent and annoying. Where the hell is it coming from?<\/i> He looked down to see his knee nervously pounding against the leg of his desk. He had been performing the involuntary motion for the last ten minutes completely unaware. It was the bruise beginning to form on his knobby joint that had alerted him to a problem.<\/p>\n
If only his mind was as alert as his nervous system. He\u2019d had a thought about Cordelia\u2019s soul and run with it as far as the known texts could take him. But he hit a wall. The problem he surmised was indeed a possibility as discussed in several treatises on Mayan soul travel. But the most intriguing lead was mentioned in a book written by an observer of various Native American medicine men who described a process of souls joining to heal. The only problem was the methodology was vague.<\/p>\n
What he needed was an actual medicine man or at the very least some text written by one with much more detail. Unfortunately, Wolfram and Hart didn\u2019t have any such men on staff. He was informed that these were considered holy men and, therefore, not helpful to their apocalyptic vision. And Native American traditions and practices were passed down from generation to generation usually through the telling and showing of them and not in the writing.<\/p>\n
For the first time Wesley realized there were entire cultures on this planet that could disappear without record and with them the volumes of knowledge that would vanish. He would make it his project, as long as he had the resources of this evil empire at his fingertips, to start accumulating that knowledge for the future. It could be his greatest achievement.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, back to the problem of Cordelia\u2019s fractured soul. He had no doubt whose soul she must join with, but that would present another problem in and of itself. Not an unconquerable one, but a bit of a snag. It was the rest of the process as he understood it that was the bugger of it.Dammit! I\u2019m so close.<\/i><\/p>\n
In any case, it was time to bring this to Angel. He waited as long as he could because Angel had seemed resigned to letting her go, and Wesley needed more than theory to possibly raise his hopes only to dash them yet again. Now, at least, he had some research to back up his idea. For the first time since he\u2019d stepped through the doors of Wolfram and Hart, he actually started to feel good. Not just happy good, but the opposite of evil. He was doing good.<\/p>\n
Scene 7<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? You brought me here for this?\u201d Gunn was about to open a whole new jumbo box of whoop ass on this mouse. It was taking every ounce of self-control he still possessed to stop.<\/p>\n
\u201cCharles, listen to me. Dennis called me. A lot! Now how did Dennis know my private number? And why now after all these months of missing, then found, then coma Cordy would he want to talk to us? It has to be Cordelia. She must be communicating with him somehow.\u201d Fred was hesitant, but she reached over and touched his arm. He jumped a little at the contact, but he didn\u2019t pull away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you need me here? You can talk to Dennis all by your lonesome. You took me away from some important business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to thinkin\u2019 that maybe it was some kinda trap. Ya know. Somebody who knows us…who knew about Dennis…could be sittin\u2019 in there in the dark waiting to pounce.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dammit, why didn\u2019t I think of that? That woulda been tight.<\/i> \u201cYeah, well, okay. Sounds a bit farfetched for your typical lurking evil to come up with, but I suppose it\u2019s possible. Let\u2019s go. But if it is just Dennis acting all boo-hoo woe is me, I will definitely get some of my friends at work to kick his foggy ass into hell for good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friends? Charles has friends at Wolfram and Hart that aren\u2019t us?<\/i> She looked up to see him already across the street and heading up the path to the apartment. She ran to catch up. \u201cCharles, wait.\u201d He slowed a bit but he didn\u2019t stop for her. When she finally did reach him, he plodded forward again at a brisk pace without looking at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cCharles, wait, please stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFred, I thought this was urgent. Now are we going up there or not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes…no…yes, we are, but give me a second. Charles, what friends at Wolfram and Hart? What friends do you have there that would exorcise Dennis?\u201d She tried to read his eyes, but he wouldn\u2019t turn to look at her.<\/p>\n
Gunn realized he\u2019d made a mistake, but nothing he wasn\u2019t capable of fixing. \u201cHell, girl, that\u2019s just a figure of speech. You know ol\u2019 Wicked and Hell bound got tons of voodoo workin\u2019 freaks that could do the Exorcist on Dennis in a second. I don\u2019t know any of them personally, but it wouldn\u2019t take any of us long to find one.\u201d He turned and grinned for affect.<\/p>\n
Fred noticed immediately that the smile didn\u2019t make it to his eyes. Those eyes were cold and half dead. The chills covered her arms, but she hoped he hadn\u2019t noticed her shiver. She didn\u2019t want him to know she was terrified of him right now. Maybe Cordy was the lucky one after all.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right. We probably could make one phone call and have Linda Blair do it personally.\u201d She smiled weakly hoping her charm would kick into gear and break the tension. \u201cLet\u2019s go. Cordy\u2019s waitin’.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn waved his ax-wielding arm in an \u2018after you\u2019 gesture, and they climbed the steps to Cordy\u2019s old apartment. Reaching the door, Fred took a deep breath and hesitated. Gunn looked exasperated, and reached up to knock when the door opened slowly on its own.<\/p>\n
Scene 8<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Angel was still in his office even though he should have been out saving someone. After the meeting, he\u2019d felt exhausted. It took everything in him to be strong for his friends. He discovered a whole new level of respect for Cordelia. She had played that kind of scene a thousand times before for her family\u2019s benefit, and he was just now realizing how truly strong she must be…have been.<\/p>\n
Any time he used the past tense, he could feel his eyes begin to burn. And he\u2019d been forcing himself to speak and think of her in the past since the meeting. His eyes were raw. Maybe if he got it out of his system tonight, then when 9:00 am came, he\u2019d actually be able to do it without staking himself afterward. Probably be able to. Most likely anyway. Or maybe not.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, fuck, Cordelia. I need you. Don\u2019t make me do this, please. I\u2019m not as strong as you.\u201d<\/p>\n
When she didn\u2019t answer him for the millionth time, his head fell forward and he covered his tear-streaked face with both hands to hide his weakness. She would so kick my ass for brooding like this.<\/i> That thought gave him a little comfort and a small chuckle got passed the permanent boulder in his throat.<\/p>\n
The phone buzzed and his assistant announced, \u201cMr. Angel, Mr. Wyndham-Price is here to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me one minute and then let him in.\u201d Angel swiped away the wetness covering his face and went to his private bathroom. He couldn\u2019t see his reflection, but he guessed he wasn\u2019t looking too stone-faced about now. Turning the cold water on full blast, he cupped the water in his hands and soaked his eyes hoping any swelling there would recede. He was just toweling off when Wesley entered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s up Wes?\u201d Angel tossed the spent towel on the bathroom floor behind him as he greeted Wesley.<\/p>\n
Wesley wasn\u2019t a genius at reading people, but he wasn\u2019t a fool either. He recognized immediately that Angel had just been crying and probably had been for some time. But it was certainly not something he would comment on either. Angel obviously did not want to be seen in any light other than strong and in control, and Wesley would not deny him that comfort.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I was wrong. I don\u2019t think Cordelia is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel would have expected Wesley to do the dance of the seven-veils in front of the Queen of England before hearing those words leave his mouth. \u201cYou want to pass that one by me again because I\u2019m in no mood for jokes or false hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I\u2019m the one who was convinced that Cordelia was gone and we needed to let her go, and there is a mountain of evidence to support that. But, I now know that I…well, we all…were wrong. At least I\u2019m now certain there is one other possibility that we missed, and I\u2019m not willing to give up all hope as long as there\u2019s one more chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Wes. I don\u2019t believe in last minute reprieves. I know you\u2019re just as upset as I am about doing this, but you were right. She\u2019s left us and we need to say goodbye and move on.\u201d He couldn\u2019t believe he wasn\u2019t grasping at this straw Wes was handing him. But he had to be the strong one. He had to take the responsibility and make the final, tough decision. It was the best thing for his family to put the burden on his back and not let this drag out any longer.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, Angel, at least let me…\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo! No more. It\u2019s over. Let go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley felt the old tug of failure in his gut. His father\u2019s voice brow-beating him with his constant barrage of debasing comments raced through his mind.\u201cLook at you. As a girl, you make me proud…\u201d \u201cNo one listens to you. Why should they? You\u2019re pathetic…\u201d \u201cAlways a Watcher, never a doer…\u201d \u201cJust sit back and watch a little girl do the fighting, that\u2019s all you\u2019re good for…\u201d \u201cWhy did I get cursed with you as a son?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Every time Angel or any other male authority figure challenged him in this way, he always struggled to fight back. To rise above his ingrained sense of worthlessness and insecurity. He\u2019d come so far in the past few years, but it was never going to leave him.<\/p>\n
Fathers can brand their sons. Maybe it\u2019s a vestige from their animal ancestor\u2019s tradition of scenting their property. Whatever the source, the mark never goes away. It can only fade. He would always have to fight to believe in himself and stand up against this stamp of insignificance on his soul.<\/p>\n
The struggle this time was not a difficult one though. There was too much riding on his belief to back down. Cordy was far more important than his fear of failing in Angel\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
He moved as close to Angel as was comfortable. Enough to prove he was self-assured. His intense gaze locked with Angel\u2019s. Unblinking, he said, \u201cYou let go, Angel. Let go of this show you\u2019re putting on for us. I believe I have a way to get Cordy back. Believe it or not, I don\u2019t care. But, I will do everything in my power to stop you from killing her tomorrow including staking you right now if that\u2019s what it takes. Are we clear?\u201d<\/p>\n
Normally anyone threatening to stake him would really piss him off and most likely already be dead. But, all he felt now was relief…gobs and gobs of it. If Wesley was willing to kill him or risk dying for his idea, then it must be valid. And if it was a concrete possibility, then she might not have to die. He might not have to kill her. He didn\u2019t have to be the strong one any more. He could let it go. And he did. The sudden lightness of his load was so startling that his knees buckled, and he would have dropped to the floor if Wesley hadn\u2019t propped him up long enough to guide him to a chair. Thank you, God.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Wesley.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scene 9<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Fred and Gunn stared into the dark apartment. The corridor light spilled in just enough for them to get a general idea of the layout.<\/p>\n
Fred was shocked to see it looking so different. She had stupidly expected to see Cordy\u2019s furniture there even though she and Gunn were the ones who\u2019d cleaned out all her stuff months ago. So to see some stranger\u2019s things in front of her made her hesitate. This was an invasion of somebody\u2019s privacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you feel a little strange about doing this?\u201d Fred asked Gunn who was about to step across the threshold, ax at the fore.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, why should I? Isn\u2019t this why we\u2019re here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, but this isn\u2019t Cordy\u2019s apartment any more. Some stranger lives here. It\u2019s kinda creepy, dontcha think?\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn just rolled his eyes. \u201cListen, I\u2019m going in. You hang back here until I can check it out and make sure it\u2019s only Casper waiting for us.\u201d Fred nodded silently and pulled her feminine-sized ax up and into ready position.<\/p>\n
Gunn had only gotten three steps in when all the lights in the apartment started going on and off and on again creating a strobe affect. He jumped back shocked and steadied himself for an attack. Fred just laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, Dennis! It\u2019s great to see you, too. How about you blink the lights once if this is a trap and twice if it\u2019s clear for us to come in? Sorry, Charles, I shoulda thought of that earlier. Maybe you didn\u2019t need to come after all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lights went on and off twice and Fred stepped inside. Gunn was thoroughly disappointed in the lack of evil lurkers and turned to exit. Dennis slammed the door shut in his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be messin\u2019 with me, Dennis. I\u2019ve got places to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
The door bolt slid into place. Gunn turned back toward the living room, ax poised to strike at something…anything…and saw a steno pad and pen floating toward him. On it was written, \u201cGunn, don\u2019t go. Need your help. Cordy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred squealed. \u201cCordy! I knew it! Thank you, Dennis. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, my God, Cordy. How are you? Where are you? You\u2019re not dead are ya? Of course, you\u2019re not, because your body\u2019s still alive. So how\u2019ve ya been? Whatcha been doin\u2019? Are you coming back soon, \u2018cause we miss the hell out of ya…\u201d<\/p>\n
The scratching of the pen on the paper got her to stop yammering for a second. The message read, \u201cVision. Save girl. Now!\u201d<\/p>\n
Gunn looked at Fred hopeful again that he\u2019d get to smash something. They both watched as the pad settled on the table in front of the couch and the pen started flying across the page. Soon they were seated where they both could read everything as Dennis transcribed it.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat job, Dennis. Don\u2019t forget to tell them the part about the tail. It\u2019s all spiky and can kill them with one swing. Oh! And tell them to split up. This thing is really fast and looks like it can disappear and be someplace different in an instant.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m writing as fast as I can, Cordy. What did you say about the eyes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJesus, Dennis. They can\u2019t look directly in its eyes. They can stun them or something. It gives this thing time to kill \u2018em. Pretty important factoid to forget. Sheesh!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you think you can do better, why don\u2019t you talk to them? Huh? Huh? That\u2019s what I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, okay. Sorry. You\u2019re right. I do need you and you\u2019re doing great. I\u2019m just really nervous. They\u2019ve got to get to this girl very, very soon and I don\u2019t want anybody getting hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you got all that, Charles,\u201d Fred asked as she pulled out her cell phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cGot it, logged it and ready to crush it. Let\u2019s move.\u201d<\/p>\n
They headed toward the door and Fred turned back as they were about to exit. \u201cCordy, we\u2019ll be right back. Promise. Don\u2019t you go any place!\u201d The door slammed on Cordy\u2019s silent reply.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry. I\u2019m snug as a bug here…there…and everywhere. Not movin\u2019 a muscle you little Texas tornado. So, Dennis, I think we\u2019ve got time for another serenade. What\u2019s on the ol\u2019 jukebox?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
\n
Scene 10<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Wesley had explained his theory twice now. Once to Angel and then again to Lorne after Angel called him to join them. Fred and Gunn were unreachable and absent.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo to sum up, the situation as it appears to exist is: (a) In order for her to be welcomed back into her body, her soul has to be healed; (b) It must join with another soul that is connected to it and to its pain on an intimate and emotional level to heal; (c) Once the healing is complete, the souls must be separated; (d) After they are separated any standard re-ensouling spell should work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we still don\u2019t know how to do the joining, healing and separating hoodoo, right?\u201d Lorne gestured with his Seabreeze-ladened hand sloshing some on the boss\u2019s rug. \u201cOopsy. Sorry big guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel could only smile. That\u2019s all he\u2019d been doing for the last bit of eternity since Wesley began explaining. Damned if Wesley didn\u2019t make sense, and for the first time in months he was happy to be alive and working at Wolfram and Hart.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it. And, yeah, we don\u2019t know how but all we need is a real-life medicine man or someone who at least knows the ritual. How hard can that be, right? We\u2019ve got the world and unlimited dimensions at our fingertips. We should be able to dig up one measly medicine man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley couldn\u2019t help smiling at his goofy grin, but he thought it best to temper Angel\u2019s enthusiasm with a smidgen of reality check. \u201cWell, it shouldn\u2019t be impossible but it may not be quite that simple. These sorts of rituals, as I said, are passed down orally and we can\u2019t be certain that this particular soul joining and healing ceremony is still in practice. In addition, it appears to have only been practiced in only a few tribes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell that\u2019s good. That narrows down the search. We target our efforts on those tribes and question every medicine man they have until we find the one.\u201d Angel wasn\u2019t grasping the true problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, that\u2019s true. It does make it easier, but it also limits our pool of possibilities considerably. Angel, we may only be talking about three or four qualified individuals and the chance of one of them knowing this particular ritual is… I just don\u2019t think we should be looking at this as a sure thing quite yet.\u201d \u201cThere\u2019s my boy. There\u2019s the wimp of my loins.\u201d<\/i> He saw Angel come in for a crash landing and cringed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you\u2019re right, Wes. But, if there\u2019s any chance…\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley immediately regretted his words. \u201cNo, I\u2019m wrong. I\u2019m talking out of my ass.\u201d Lorne did a spit take and added another stain to the carpet.<\/p>\n
He ignored Lorne\u2019s slapstick and continued. \u201cI don\u2019t know how many are out there, but I\u2019m sure if there is one we\u2019ll find him. We have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWay to go, my man Wes! Glad to have the fully-balled version back and jacked up for business.\u201d Lorne raised his glass to him and received an embarrassed grin from Wesley for the effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I\u2019m kinda glad to see him, too,\u201d Angel added. \u201cOf course, I could\u2019ve done without the \u2018fully-balled\u2019 image floating around in my head right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, well, we all are, aren\u2019t we.\u201d Wesley grimaced at the thought of Angel picturing his balls.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeak for yourself, studly do-right,\u201d Lorne teased and winked unashamedly at Wesley. Wesley was about to let fly a tasty comeback when Angel\u2019s intercom buzzed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d Angel asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSir, Ms. Burkle is on line one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Angel pressed the speakerphone so they all could hear. \u201cFred, where are you? You need to get back…\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred cut him off. \u201cAngel! Listen to me. I\u2019m at Cordy\u2019s old apartment in Silver Lake. Gunn\u2019s here, too. Angel! You won\u2019t believe this. Cordy\u2019s here!! She\u2019s here and she\u2019s talkin\u2019 through Dennis, and man she won\u2019t shut up! It\u2019s the most wonderful thing I\u2019ve ever seen!!\u201d<\/p>\n
Fred waited for a response, but there was nothing but silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cAngel? Angel did you hear me? Angel!! Dammit, Charles, I think he musta collapsed or something. He\u2019s not answering.\u201d<\/p>\n
The double-doors to Angel\u2019s office were wide open. Just as they\u2019d left them when they charged out of his office on their way to Cordelia.<\/p>\n