Title: The Dark Night of the Soul: Ep. 3 -- Moving Forward
Author: Angel Kisses 70
Posted: 08-17-2003
Email: Kanrei64@msn.com
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Category: AU; ATS Season 1
Content: A/C
Summary: In my universe, Angel didn’t leave at the end of BTVS Season 3, but Cordelia did go to LA to seek her fame and fortune. When Buffy dies at the end of Season 5 jumping off the tower, Angel decides to leave Sunnydale, unable to face the memories or the guilt. However, since the Slayer is dead (and Faith is still in her coma,) another must be called....
Spoilers: Only if you've never seen ATS Season 1 or 3
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: Anyone besides NF, just ask first
Notes: This episode is a re-write of Heartthrob from Season 3. I know this should have been In the Dark, but we need to explore Buffy’s death and Angel’s feelings about it. Don’t worry, I plan on using In the Dark, cause I absolutely adore Spike and his attitude. Enjoy!
Feedback: Yes, please!
Thanks/Dedication:ACT I
Cordelia flopped down on the couch in the outer office, letting her weapons bag fall to the floor with a resounding thud. She looked at the blue demon goo spattered all over her white blouse and sighed at the ruined clothing. “You know, I get people who drink too much. I get people who put a note on the parking meter that says it's broken when it's not. What I don’t get is people who worship demons," she said, taking her hair out of its ponytail and running her fingers through the chocolate-colored mass of silk.
Also covered in blue goo, Doyle dropped a sword on the top of the desk, then sat down next to Cordelia. "Yeah. Especially Lu-rite demons. The smell of those things....” He shuddered. “Well, let’s just say my Uncle Paddy’s pig sty smelled sweeter."
Angel nodded in agreement as he sat down, spattering more demon goo on top of the desk. "It's sad. The only way some people can find a purpose in life is by becoming obsessed with demons. And technically, that wasn't a Lu-rite. It was a Mu-rite, a sub-species of the Lu-rite. The male has a small, tell-tale fin just behind the third shoulder."
"So glad to know we're not the sad people obsessed with demons," Doyle muttered, grinning at Cordelia.
"Hey, we have to be a little obsessed,” Angel said, defensively. “We're detectives that specialize in these things."
Cordelia nodded. "And, we're not sad," she added, raising an eyebrow at Doyle.
"No,” Angel said, shaking his head. “No, we're a very happy and rambunctious bunch.”
Doyle and Cordelia both snorted.
He gave them his best "lost puppy" look. “You’re not going to humor me, even a little, are you?"
Cordelia grinned. “Nuh-uh.”
"Look guys, I realize that you sacrifice a great deal of your social lives,” Angel said, “But, the mission demands it."
Doyle nodded. "True. Who has time for love when you're out there doing it with the demons?”
“Well, now, didn't that come out sad and wrong,” Cordelia said, laughing. “Doyle, you definitely need to get out more.”
“Only if you’ll be my date, princess.”
“When you turn into Keanu Reeves, I’ll be the first in line.” Cordelia stood up, stretching her sore back muscles and frowned at the spatters on her desk. She glared at Angel. “You are so cleaning that up.”
“He got goo on it first,” he whined, pointing at Doyle’s sword.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, you big baby. He has to help you clean up the mess. Satisfied?”
He grinned. “Yes.”
“Good. Now, check the machine. The light’s blinking.” She grabbed her weapon’s bag from the floor and walked into Angel’s office.
“So nice to know who’s the boss around here,” Doyle said with a grin as Angel pushed ‘Play’ on the phone’s answering machine.
He snorted. “Like she doesn’t scare you--.”
The sound of Dawn’s voice on the answering machine brought a sudden silence to the room.
“Um, hi Angel. Guess you’re out on a case. Willow says you’re a detective now. That’s cool. Do you carry a gun, or do you just use your fangs, cause, you know, that’s pretty scary. Um, I-I called cause you said if I ever wanted to talk about Buffy....” The sound of a muffled sob could be heard on the tape, then Dawn’s voice again. “Um, so, call me when you get a chance. I’m at Dad’s...you know the number.”
Angel frowned at the phone as the answering machine clicked off, then shoving himself away from the desk, he stood up and stalked off towards his office.
Cordelia jumped out of his way as he brushed by her and into the elevator to his apartment.
“When is he going to stop doing that?” Doyle asked, after the elevator descended.
She gave him a sad smile as she sat back down on the couch. "As soon as he works through his grief a little."
"A little? Buff--."
“Don't say the 'B' word," she said, holding up her hand and glaring at him.
"The 'B' word was the love of his life,” he said, lowering his voice. “And he's what? 250? That isn't a short life. Grief takes more than sitting in a dark basement apartment by himself. He should have gone for the lost, drunken weekend in Vegas like I suggested."
Frowning, she shook her head. "Angel doesn't need a lap dance. He needs some peace and quiet to work through this.”
Doyle sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”
“I’m Cordelia. I’m always right,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “Now, go clean the demon goo off my desk."
********
Cordelia walked into the office the next evening, carrying two large rat traps. She grinned at Doyle, who was sitting at her desk reading the racing forms. “So, whose turn is it to set the traps?" she asked, holding them up for he inspection.
He looked at the trap cages and shuddered. "Angel’s.”
"You amaze me,” she said, chuckling as she set the traps on top of her desk. “You'll fight hell-beasts, but you're scared of rats."
"I hate rats,” he said, backing the chair away from the desk. “Their beady, little eyes and their beady, sharp teeth. Not to mention their long, hairless tails all woosh, woosh."
She rolled her eyes, picked up the traps and headed for Angel’s office. "Well, aren't you just the biggest scaredy I ever saw." Just as she reached the door, it opened to reveal their boss. “Hi Angel,” she said, grinning. She held out the traps. “You’re on rat patrol this afternoon.”
Angel looked at the cages, then at Doyle. “I thought it was your turn?”
He shook his head. “I got stuck cleaning up demon goo last night...all by myself, I might add. You owe me.”
Angel took the traps from Cordelia and stood there.
“Go on,” she said, waving her hands at him, “Shoo. You have a job to do.”
"He seems better than he was last night,” Doyle said, after Angel had left to go set the traps in the basement.
She looked over at Doyle. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
“So,” he said, glancing down at his racing form, “What do you know about horses?”
“Other than the fact that I used to ride them?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “Or, that one of Daddy’s many investments was breeding race horses?”
“Ahhh, a purveyor of fine horse flesh. Who sounds good to you in the ninth...Jim’s Dandy or Diamond Dust?”
She started to reply, when his face suddenly screwed up in pain. “Angel! Vision!” she yelled, and raced over to the desk to help Doyle.
Angel appeared in the office, just as the vision ended, holding a glass of scotch. “Easy,” he said, handing the drink to Doyle. "What is it? What did you see?"
Doyle downed the shot, then hissed at the burn in the back of his throat. Opening his eyes, he looked at Angel. "A bunch of vampires. They're crashing a party...killing people."
"Where?" Cordelia asked, picking up a pen and pad of paper from her desktop.
"Wilson College. Bonner Hall. Room nine eighteen. They're gonna take hostages.”
She nodded and scribbled the information down.
Doyle looked at Angel. “Watch out for the blonde. She's the worst."
Angel nodded. “Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Fine,” Doyle said, standing up. He wobbled slightly, then shook his head. Catching his bearings, he smiled at his two friends. “I'm fine. Let’s go."
********
They entered the dorm room to find it littered with bodies.
Cordelia picked up a piece of bright yellow paper from the floor. Ignoring the blood splatter, she read out loud, “Major Party. Music, Girls and Beer. Everyone’s Invited.” She looked around at the blood-filled scene. "So much for inviting everyone.”
"Some of them are still alive," Angel said, checking the pulse of one young man lying on the floor.
Doyle picked up the phone from the spot on the floor where it’d been dropped. He dialed 911. "There's been an accident,” he said. “We need two, maybe three ambulances. Wilson College, Bonner Hall, Room nine eighteen."
Angel looked around the room, then walked over to the open window.
Cordelia followed him.
"They're heading east on Sixth Street,” he said, looking at her. “Shall we?”
She nodded and climbed out the open window.
He tossed Doyle the car keys. “Take the car."
"What are you two gonna do?" Doyle asked, hanging up the phone.
Angel vamped out.
"Oh. Right. Taking the roof way,” Doyle said, as Angel followed Cordelia out the window.
********
Four vampires in game face, three male and a female, whooped as they drove down Sixth Street in a classic, Chevy convertible with the top down. A frightened, young frat guy sat in the front seat between the swarthy-looking male driver and the comely, blonde female from Doyle’s vision. Meanwhile, the guy’s terrified girlfriend sat whimpering softly between the other two males in the back.
Looking over his shoulder, the frat guy pleaded softly, "Please."
The blonde looked at him and stroked his cheek. "Hmm?"
"Please," he said, glancing nervously at the female vampire, “Don’t hurt her.”
"You love her?” she asked, nodding her head at his girlfriend.
He nodded.
“You'd do anything for her?” she asked, leaning in closer, a devilish grin on her face.
He nodded again.
“What if...,” she asked loudly enough for the girl in the back seat to hear, “We just kill her and let you go...hmm?”
He stared at her, unblinking, fear in his eyes.
She chuckled softly. “Come on now. Life's about making choices. You...or her. What's it gonna be?" With malicious glee, she watched the internal struggle going on behind his eyes and knew the exact moment he’d made his decision.
"Her,” he replied. “Take her.... God, I--."
"Tsk, tsk. You call that love?” the female vampire asked and began to pet the side of his cheek. “When we get home, I'll show you what love is."
Suddenly, Angel dropped down onto the hood of the car and grabbed the steering wheel, causing the car to swerve off the road and into an abandoned building.
The girl in the back screamed.
Cordelia landed on her feet next to the back end of the wrecked convertible. Grabbing the closest vampire sitting in the back, she slugged him with a wicked right hook, then grabbed the screaming girl and pulled her out of the back seat.
Angel jumped off the hood, tossing the driver out of the car as he hauled the frat guy from the front seat. “Run!” Angel yelled to the hysterical couple, as the other male vamp and the blonde female hurried around the car to engage him in combat.
Doyle brought Angel’s convertible to a squealing halt behind the wrecked car. He jumped out, snatched a short sword from the backseat and joined the fray.
The blonde slugged Angel then turned to run after the fleeing couple, only to come up short as she found herself face to face with Cordelia and the business end of a stake.
“Going somewhere?” Cordelia asked. “The party’s just getting started.”
Snarling, the blonde swung at her.
Cordelia blocked her blow for blow. When the blonde kicked at her, Cordelia grabbed her by the foot and threw her across the street, sending her crashing into the window of a vacant store front. Turning quickly, she punched one of the male vampires in the side of the head, distracting his attention from Angel, who was busy fighting one of the other male vamps. When the angry vampire turned to attack, she jabbed the pointed end of her stake into his chest, grinning at his surprised expression as he turned to dust.
“Cordy!” Doyle yelled, as the male vampire he was fighting knocked the sword from his hand.
She tossed the stake to him.
Doyle caught it just as the vampire wrapped his hands around his throat. He quickly thrust the stake up into its chest, then coughed, as vamp dust settled over him.
The remaining male vampire jumped up from behind the smashed car where Angel had just tossed him and rapidly backed away. His eyes widened in fear as he watched the blonde attempt to jump Cordelia from behind, only to be grabbed by her shirt front, turned around and staked by Angel. Not liking the remaining odds, the remaining vamp turned tail and ran.
The blonde’s yellow eyes widened in recognition. "Angelus?" she asked with disbelief, then exploded into dust, leaving behind only a heart-shaped locket with a broken chain clutched in Angel’s hand.
ACT II
Marseilles, 1767
The sound of a bell ringing frantically echoed down the empty cobblestone streets. Two couples, lit by the glow from a large fire behind them, moved past the empty shop windows ignoring the clanging alarm. The older couple, a tall, dark-haired man and a petite blonde woman watched the laughing, younger couple dance ahead of them with sober and cynical eyes.
"Young love," the blonde woman said, sighing dramatically, then rolling her eyes.
The dark-haired man smirked. “I give it a century," he said loud enough for the younger man to stop dancing and stare into the eyes of the young blonde girl in his arms.
“A century, Angelus?” the young man said incredulously. “A mere hundred years?"
"I would need a thousand just to sketch the perfect plane of your face," the young girl said softly, caressing the young man’s cheek.
He smiled down at her. “I would need ten thousand just to name the color of your eyes."
Angelus snorted. "They're green, James, but take your time.” He looked over his shoulder at the burning buildings then back at the besotted young couple. “On the other hand, don't. We have a ship to catch and Holtz may not be far behind."
James sighed, shaking his head at the cynicism in Angelus’ voice.
The young girl looked at the older man with pity. “You know neither poetry nor love, Angelus."
"He knows other things, Elisabeth,” the older blonde woman murmured, smiling wickedly. “Marvelously vile and ripping things. Didn't we eat a poet in Madrid, Angelus?"
"It was a troubadour, Darla." he replied, grinning at his lover.
“Oh yes,” she murmured, licking her lips, “Now I remember. He screamed quite loudly until you ripped his throat out.”
James looked around at the dimly lit shop windows. “Everything's closed! Pity,” he said, looking back down at Elisabeth. “I wanted to spend some of the Count’s gold on you."
"We'll need it for the voyage,” Angelus replied sharply.
Elisabeth placed her fingertips over her mouth and burped softly. "The Count De Leon was a little rich for my blood. I'll be full for a week!" she said, smiling.
Angelus was beginning to feel a little bit put out with the starry-eyed lovers and their nonsense. "The fire was excessive," he snapped.
James grinned at the older vampire. “Of course it was. We burned his villa to the ground!"
"We left a mark...made a statement!" Elisabeth said, nodding her support for her lover’s actions.
Angelus snorted. "Ah, a statement as in 'Here, we are, Holtz. Please, hunt us down.'"
"Ah, who cares about Holtz?" James said offhandedly, as they continued walking down the street.
"You would if you knew him,” Darla replied, wrapping a hand around Angelus’ arm. “He's killed scores of us. Hunted Angelus and I across half of Europe. God, if he follows us to Morocco, what then? The new world?"
James stopped walking again. "I say we stay and fight the bastard."
Angelus rolled his eyes a he walked past the brazen fledgling. “Yeah, but you're an idiot."
"I don't believe he's the most formidable vampire killer in the world. You know, ‘None lives to tell the tale and all.’” He caught up to Angelus and bumped him in the arm. “After all, you lived to tell the tale."
Elisabeth looked at Darla. "I heard he trapped you both in a barn and that you fled, leaving him to die," she said, nodding her head in Angelus’ direction.
"It's not true," James gasped with disbelief.
Angelus looked down at Darla. "It's entirely true. She hit me with a shovel, wished me luck and rode off on our only horse."
Darla smiled up at him, leaning in close. "Life is full of surprises," she murmured seductively.
Angelus arched an eyebrow. "Ah, life is boring. You're full of surprises."
She laughed naughtily. "Of course, when you finally did catch up with me in Vienna, I had to pay for my sins, again and again."
A feral smile spread across his face. He licked his lips at the remembered “punishment” he meted out on Darla’s lovely, pale flesh. "Hmm, can you even begin to fathom the things that we did?” he asked, looking up at James with a sneer of contempt. “Of course not. You're in love."
Darla and Angelus continued walking down the street. Angelus turned back to see Elisabeth looking in a shop window and James standing behind her. "Let's not dawdle, children," he admonished.
"It's so pretty," Elisabeth murmured with admiration, her green-eyed gaze fixed on a heart-shaped necklace.
James wrapped his arms around her waist. "No, it's not."
"James!" She turned to look at him reproachfully.
He smiled. "Not as pretty as it's going to be...," he whispered. Slamming his fist through the glass, he reached inside and grabbed the object of his love’s affection. "When it's worn by the prettiest one of all." He placed it around her neck.
"I adore it,” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I'll never take it off!"
Laughing, he picked her up and swung her around, then crushed his lips to hers, oblivious to the uniformed soldiers marching up the street towards them.
Spotting the soldiers, Angelus shook his head and growled. "And this is what love gets you."
James set his lover back down on her feet. "Elisabeth, you and Darla get to the ship. We'll join you there,” he said and gave her a quick kiss. As the two women headed down a side street, James walked over to the older vampire and smirked. “Let's give them a rout, what do you say Angelus?"
"I'd say you're an idiot,” Angelus snarled, “But, I'd just be repeating myself."
James turned to the soldiers. “Come on you bloody Frogs! I broke the window, and I'll break your skulls!”
The soldiers stopped in their tracks, their rifles raised and pointed at the two vampires.
James laughed. “See, all you have to do is stand up to them.”
Ignoring the insolent whelp, Angelus narrowed his eyes and sniffed the air. His hackles rose as a very familiar scent tickled his nose. Silently, he turned to face the half dozen men on horseback who were galloping down the street towards them.
James watched the soldiers back off and head back the way they came. “What are you afraid of?” he yelled, mockingly.
“Not us,” Angelus replied calmly, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
James turned around in time to see the riders’ Angelus had been watching stop and point crossbows at them. His smile faded as an older, gray-bearded man wearing a large, Quaker-style hat rode to the head of the group and stopped. The man’s gaze was as cold as Angelus’.
Angelus stared into his nemesis’ eyes and addressed James soberly, “Hope she treasures that locket.”
******
"Then what?" Doyle asked, shifting anxiously on the edge of one of the chair’s in Angel’s office.
Angel stared silently at the heart-shaped locket lying open on top of his desk. Pictures of James and Elisabeth’s faces stared back at him.
Doyle slammed his hand down on the desk.
Angel looked up. “Huh?”
"What happened with Holtz, man? Don’t be leavin’ us in suspense."
Angel shrugged. "Oh, that's another story."
"We got time," Doyle said, motioning to the empty offices.
"I'm not sure we do," he replied, shaking his head.
"No, because James and Elisabeth had the big, forever love,” Cordelia said, getting up from her chair and headed for the weapons cabinet. “If he's still around and he finds out who killed her....”
"He's gonna want revenge," Doyle said with sudden understanding.
"If he's still around, and if they're still in love,” Angel said, closing the locket. “That was a long time ago."
Opening the cabinet, Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Two hundred plus years and the girl is still wearing the locket? I’m thinking that’s a big old ‘Hell yeah!’"
Doyle got up. "I'll hit the streets and see what my sources can tell me."
"And, I’ll be here making more stakes,” Cordelia said, eyeing the depleted supply in her training bag. “Something tells me this vamp’s going to be a little hard to put down.”
“James really lived for that girl," Angel said, placing the necklace in his pocket as Doyle left the office. “He’d walk into the sun for her. He could be a pile of dust by now.”
Cordelia turned around and looked skeptically at her boss. “One word. Glory.”
His eyes flashed amber.
“Oh yeah," she said turning back to the cabinet, "He’s definitely coming to dust your ass.”
******
Hidden in the shadows of a semi-full parking garage, James watched as Elisabeth’s wrecked car was hooked up to a tow-truck. The minion who’d been with her and had escaped Angel’s attack, stood beside the eerily quiet young man.
"We-we did everything we could,” the male vampire explained nervously, “B-but, they were too much for us."
James watched the tow truck driver raise the car up onto the bed of the tow truck. "Angelus," he murmured with disbelief.
"Yeah,” he said, shuddering with disgust. “One of our own hunting us down. And with a Slayer no less! It's sick!"
"How is this possible?” James asked, staring at the driver as he climbed into the cab of the tow truck. “The Angelus I knew--."
"He's not the same. Gypsies cursed him with a soul a little over a hundred years ago. Now, he’s got a business here in LA and kills us for money. He’s been helping the Slayer hunt us down. Rumor has it that he’s training her, letting her in on all of our secrets."
The tow truck drove away. James watched until he could no longer see the taillights of Elisabeth’s car. "She's gone," he whispered sadly.
"It was horrible,” the minion said, shaking his head. “She was bringing you two ripe and rosy humans and he just flew out of the sky and--."
"And you ran."
The vampire became uneasy as James’ cold, accusing stare suddenly focused on him. “No. No, I fought...until I saw it was hopeless. I-I thought you'd want to know how it happened, who did it."
"And now I do."
"Y-you w-want to be alone," he stammered, backing away from his master.
James shook his head, his eyes narrowing. With lightening speed, he snatched the minion up by the front of the shirt and pulled him close. “No,” he growled. “I want to die."
Tossing the frightened minion out into a large patch of sunlight, James, unmoved by the vampire’s dying shrieks as it burst into flames, calmly turned on his heel and walked off into the shadows.
ACT III
Angel sat at his desk and removed the necklace from his pocket. He flipped open the heart and stared at the two pictures inside. James and Elisabeth. What had Cordelia called them? Oh yeah...the Big Forever Love. He frowned.
Buffy had loved him with the Big Forever Love too. Hadn’t she?
Sitting on the floor next to the weapons cabinet, Cordelia looked up from sharpening a stake and saw the frown on Angel’s face. She started to say something, then bit her lip and went back to the stake.
"What?"
Startled, she looked up. "What?"
"What do you want to say?" he asked, still staring at the necklace.
"Um, me? Nothing. What makes you think I want to--."
He looked up and met her gaze head on. "Because I know you."
"Well,” she said carefully, pretending sudden interest in the stake in her hand, “It's really none of my business...."
"And that always stops you?" He smiled softly.
Setting the stake aside, she stood up and walked over to the desk. "Actually, it is my business,” she said determinedly, lifting her chin. “Because we're on a mission here, and what affects you, affects me. Besides, I don't like to see you suffer more than you have to. I don't think you should blame yourself or feel guilty for her death."
He shook his head. "I don't."
She smiled. "Good. Glad to hear it."
"I didn't even know who she was when I killed her," he said with a shrug.
"Not her!” she said, her smile fading. “Angel..."
"Oh...,” he said, understanding dawning about the ‘she’ that Cordelia was referring to. He closed the locket. “You want to talk about--."
"She was the love of your life,” she said, quickly before she lost her nerve, “And she died."
Angel turned his chair and looked down at the necklace in his hand. It seemed to mock him. He’d given Buffy a necklace once. But, it hadn’t been out of love. It had been to protect her.
Cordelia moved around the side of the desk to stand directly in front of him. “And you were there when it happened.” She squatted down in front of him and looked up into his face. Her heart broke at the expression she saw. “You helped her fight. You tried to protect her. And yet, in the end, you couldn't save her,” she said softly, covering his hands with her own. “You couldn't die with her."
He remained silent, refusing to meet her gaze.
She sighed. "This is going to be one of those talks where I do all the talking, isn't it?” Letting go of his hands, she stood up. “Fine. I won’t pry,” she said and turned to walk away. “It's not my style.”
He felt a fleeting moment of relief, but then Cordelia turned back around.
“Okay, it's totally my style,” she said, crossing her arms. “But, I can tell that I'm not getting anywhere right now. However, you do have to tell me one thing. You owe me this much.”
He looked up at her with confusion.
She arched an eyebrow at him. “What in the hell happened with Holtz?"
******
Marseilles, 1767
The gray-bearded man dismounted from his horse and walked up to Angelus. His dark-eyed gaze held no warmth, only hate. "Where is she?" he asked forcefully.
Angelus smirked at the man. "How's your health there then, Holtz? Mine is grand, thanks for asking."
"Where is she?" Holtz asked again, taking a step closer.
Angelus looked over at James, who'd begun to fidget from the tension growing between the renowned hunter and the Master vampire. “He wants Darla,” he murmured to James. “Bit of a thorn in his side. What she and I did to his family.... Tasty lot, especially the little ones.” He turned his gaze back to Holtz and licked his lips.
Suddenly, Holtz lashed out, backhanding Angelus across the chin. Two men stepped up and grabbed Angelus by the arms as Holtz pulled a stake from his inside his coat. With a feral smile, he jammed the pointed end against Angelus’ throat. "There are worse things than death, Angelus. I can keep you alive for months...years, if I have a mind to. Now,” he said, shifting the point of the stake down to Angelus’ chest, “You are going to tell me where she is."
Angelus rolled his eyes. “Lord, yes, I'm gonna tell you. Who's arguin’? I don't want to suffer needlessly.” He tilted his head towards James. “She's with his lass."
"Shut your mouth, you bloody coward!" James yelled, eyeing the men whose crossbows were trained on them.
Angelus leaned his head forward towards Holtz and said conspiratorially, “Hey, he's in love. It's all very passionate and befuddlin'. Tell you what, how about I give you him and the women? They're down at the docks."
"I'll kill you!" James roared and grabbed Angelus from the two men, knocking the crossbows out of their hands. He punched the older vampire in the face, then tossed him across the street towards the horses.
Angelus quickly got to his feet and bared his fangs at James.
Scrambling to get out of harm’s way, Holtz snatched up one of the lost crossbows from the ground and aimed it at the two hissing vampires. "Kill them!" he yelled to his men and fired.
Angelus reared back as the bolt from Holtz’s crossbow embedded itself into his shoulder. Quickly assessing his odds, he grabbed the raging, younger vampire and jumped onto the back of the nearest horse. Throwing James into the saddle behind him, he kicked the horse in the ribs as another bolt slammed into his side. They quickly galloped off down the street, dodging a rain of crossbolts.
"Stop them!” Holtz yelled. “Stop them! They're getting away!"
Riding across several streets and darting down a few alleys, Angelus finally stopped in a dark alley when the sounds of Holtz and his men had faded into silence. “I think we lost them,” he said to James with a grimace.
James pushed Angelus off the horse, who hit the ground with a loud grunt. Sliding forward into the saddle, he bent down to sneer at his wounded mentor. "I'd kill you where you lay if I didn't have to get to Elisabeth."
"Excuse me,” Angelus grunted in pain, “I'm layin’ here with numerous projectiles in me, savin’ your life."
"I'll be sure to tell Darla the utter lack of concern you had for her," James replied, then turned the horse towards the docks and rode off.
Angelus pushed himself to his feet. “Buy her a hat,” he yelled at James’ retreating backside. “She loves hats.”
Sighing, he looked around the empty alley and spotted some rats feasting on rotting garbage. “Why are people always runnin’ off and leavin’ me?” he asked them as he pulled the bolt out of his side with a soft hiss. “Am I a bad bloke? I don't think so. Not once you get to know me.” Jerking the bolt out of his shoulder, he roared at the searing pain and collapsed onto his knees. “God, I really need a doctor,” he groaned, then passed out, face first, into the garbage pile.
******
James burst into the doctor's office, ignoring the frantic woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform that hurried behind him.
"Wait a minute!” the nurse said, “You can't go in there! He's sloughing!"
The doctor, sitting behind his desk, finished pulling a sheet of dead, brown skin off his face.
The nurse stood in front of the desk, next to James, and wrung her hands. "Dr. Gregson, I tried to tell him--."
Dr. Gregson held up his hand to silence her. "It's alright, Sandy,” he said calmly, and dropped the dead skin into the toxic waste container sitting next to his desk. Smiling politely, he wiped off his hands, put on his glasses, then looked up at the agitated vampire before him. “I go through this every month. Just like a woman. So, I gather this is a matter of some urgency."
"I need it," James said, leaning over the desk.
Doctor Gregson looked at him blankly. “It?”
"The cure," James demanded.
"You're aware of the price? It's a steep one," he cautioned.
James nodded soberly. "I've already paid it."
Satisfied with the answer, Gregson looked over at his nurse. “Okay then.... Sandy, lets prepare the patient."
In less than fifteen minutes, James, shirtless, found himself lying on his back on the operating table inside the doctor’s clinic.
Dr. Gregson lifted a scalpel from a tray that Sandy held. “Now James, this shouldn't hurt...too much," he said, and began slicing into the stoic vampire’s chest.
TBC