Title: A Word with Skip
Author: KarenMR
Posted: 01-21-2002
Notes: Just thought of this and wanted to write it down, let me know what you guys think.
Part 1
Buffy walked into the Magic Box with Willow and greeted Anya and Xander good morning.
It was just another average Saturday morning in Sunnydale, California where the slayer and her friends would investigate the latest resident evil and threat to humanity.
But little did they know that this day would be far from average. As the other two members of their little apocalyptic club, Dawn and Spike, arrived at the Magic Box after she stopped for food, something very strange began to happen in the small store.
As black winds swirled around the room and the lights flickered, the gang gathered close together and were quick to grab whatever weapons were handy.
When the smoke cleared, a large demon stood in the center of the room. “Hey. I’m Skip, you must be Buffy, it’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” He said, stepping closer and extending his hand.
“Excuse me?” Buffy said, obviously perplexed by her present situation.
“I’m Skip, I work for the Powers that Be, and I’ve been sent to fill you all in on some changes that will probably be going down soon.” Skip explained.
“Once again, excuse me? The Powers that Be, who the hell are they?” Buffy asked.
“Oh, this is just great! Have you even spoken to Angel and Cordelia lately?” Skip asked incredulously.
“No, I haven’t thank you, and what do they have to do with The Powers that Be?” Buffy said defensively.
“Well, they happen to be the Powers best warriors, they surpassed you and your group of rag tag warriors a long time ago. I am here to fill you in on a few things that have been happening in LA and a few things that will happen soon. Why don’t you all take a seat, this could take awhile.” Skip said, hopping up on the counter and making himself comfortable.
“Well, I guess I’ll start at the very beginning. You see, Cordelia and Angel were never really supposed to meet up in LA, they were both at this party and she bumped into him, her actual destiny was for her to bump into a famous casting director who would give her her own television show and she would become rich and famous, but nope, she decided to be different and she went and said hello to Angel. From that moment on, her path was with Angel, and she knew it. She worked with him and their other half demon friend, Doyle. Are you following me so far?” Skip asked his audience.
“Yeah mate, keep going, let’s see what else Peaches has been up to besides ‘working’ with cheerleader.” Spike snickered.
“As the three of them worked together they developed a bond, a friendship, the start of a family, and for one of them, the start of love. Doyle fell in love with Cordy, you see she knew he liked her but she didn’t realize how deeply he cared for her, and neither did the Powers. Doyle was special, he had visions sent to him by the Powers, basically a series of pictures would flash through his head and he would know where to fight evil. Right before Doyle sacrificed himself for humanity, and more specifically, for Cordy, he kissed her, and in that act of pure love, he transferred the visions to Cordy, and they began to kill her.” Skip said sadly.
“Wait, I don’t get it.” Dawn interrupted. “You said the visions were just a series of pictures, so how was a movie in her head killing Cordy?”
“Visions aren’t just pictures, the person receiving them experiences everything the victim is feeling, so if Cordy had a vision of a woman being set on fire, she felt as though she was being set on fire.” Skip said.
“Wow, we had no idea.” Willow said.
“We know, that’s because you are still so condescending on Angel, Cordy, and Wes, you’re little Sunnydale rejects.” Skip said harshly.
“Hey, that’s uncalled for.” Xander said. “If anything Cordy rejected us.”
“Untrue. As Angel and Cordy became closer in LA and Wesley joined up with them, it became clear that the ‘Queen C’ routine from Sunnydale was a farce, something she created to protect herself. The real Cordelia Chase is a sensitive and caring person who would lay down her life for her family and has done so many times.”
“So are the visions killing her, is that why you’re here?” Willow asked, somewhat concerned. She had seen firsthand how they had all changed when she went to tell Angel that Buffy was dead and was greeted with a laughing version of the former broody lover.
“No, Cordelia has sacrificed her humanity, she has become half demon so she can maintain the visions.” Skip said.
“Sorry Skippy, but I’ll believe it when I see it.” Xander said.
“Well then, you shall have your chance. I am here to tell you that you are all to go to LA to help Angel and the other fight an old enemy of his, Holtz, who is threatening them. I wasn’t really supposed to tell you all that stuff, but I was the demon who guided Cordelia when she was given her choices, she could have had a life of celebrity and fame and she gave it up to become a demon. She is a remarkable woman and I want you to treat her with respect, as well as Angel and Wesley. They all deserve it, and we can’t let your preconceived notions of their life ruin it. Because if you go in there and treat Cordelia the way she was in high school she will push you away and Holtz will win. So go to LA, and remember what I said.” Skip said and vanished as quickly as he had come.
“Well, looks like we’re going to LA. Everyone better get packed, we’ll meet back here at 5 o’clock.” Buffy said.
____________________________________
“Wow, we made good time.” Buffy said, looking at her watch.
“Yeah, well with psycho Spike driving its no wonder it only took an hour, what did you do, drive at 80?” Xander asked, wobbling out of the car.
“Is this it?” Willow asked, staring up at the large hotel.
“I think so.” Buffy said, let’s go check it out.
As they walked through the courtyard to the hotel they were surprised by the silence. It being dark, Buffy figured the hotel would be alive since Angel would be awake.
They walked into the lobby and were stunned by the scene that greeted them.
Wesley and two others, a tall black man and a small, petite woman, were watching a movie in what looked like an entertainment room. Angel was pretending to read the paper, but he was actually watching Cordelia, who was slow dancing around the lobby with a baby in her arms.
“Um. I think Skip forgot to tell us something.” Xander said.
Part 2
The Sunnydale crew stood quietly on the steps of the Hyperion lobby, so far unnoticed by the AI team.
“Does anybody else feel like we’re intruding?” Willow whispered.
“Yup.” They entire group answered.
“Well that was a great movie Cordy! It’s been forever since I’ve seen it, I mean it was around when I was around, you know, in this dimension, but I haven’t seen it since before I went to Pylea and it was nice to see it again.” Fred gushed.
“Yeah, I love that ‘When Harry Met Sally’, I think it’s so romantic that they were friends for so long and then they just realized that they loved each other. In my opinion that’s the best type of relationship.” Cordy said, looking over at Angel who greeted her shy smile with one of his own.
"Did the poof just smile? Did anybody else see that?" Spike whispered, shocked.
“I think so too, you know who they remind me of?” Fred asked eagerly.
“Who?” Cordy asked absentmindedly while she began giving Connor his nighttime feeding.
“You and Angel, they had kyrumption and moira, just like you too.” Fred said confidently.
“Well whatever they had, what she did in the diner was just plain wrong, destroy a man’s sense of manhood.” Gunn said, obviously perturbed by the infamous faked orgasm scene.
Wesley finally came into the room and caught a glimpse of the group standing in the entryway. “Bloody hell.” He said.
“What is it?” Cordy asked, obviously panicked as she turned toward the doorway. “Buffy?”
“Um, hi everyone.” Buffy said sheepishly as she met Angel’s shocked expression.
“Buffy.” He said. “What are you guys doing here? Why didn’t you call?” He asked, Buffy was surprised by the gruffness of his tone, he did not seem pleased to see his former amigos at all.
“Well it’s nice to see you too dead boy.” Xander said.
“Don’t call him that.” Cordy said defensively.
Before Xander had a chance to respond, he was stunned to see Cordy begin to levitate off the ground.
“Cordy? What is it?” Angel asked, completely ignoring the Sunnydalers and turning his complete attention back to Cordy.
“Holtz. He’s going to attack the hotel tomorrow night. He’s going to try to take Connor and me! We can’t let him Angel! He can’t take Connor!” Cordy yelled panicked for Connor's safety as she gently returned to the floor.
“Don’t worry Cordy, there’s no way in hell that Holtz is going to lay a finger on you or Connor. We have to get ready. Fred, do you have any new inventions you’d like to try out?” Angel asked.
“Yeah! I made a few specifically for Holtz, they’re in the basement, I’ll go get them!” She said excitedly.
“Great, Gunn, will you call some of your old friends and see if they’d be interested in helping us protect Connor, tell them I’ll pay if necessary.” Angel asked.
“I’m on it.” Gunn said.
“And Wes, could you call Lorne and get him over here, I want someone with Cordy and Connor at all times.” He said.
“Um, excuse me.” Buffy said.
“Oh Buffy, I’m sorry, I forgot you were there.” Angel said.
“Wow, things really have changed.” Xander whispered to Willow, who nodded in response.
“Holtz, that’s why we’re here.” Buffy said, sure that would get his attention.
“What? How do you know about Holtz?” Cordy asked.
“Some big guy named Skip came and told us that we had to come to LA to help you guys fight Holtz. One thing he apparently failed to mention is that Cordy got herself knocked up.” Buffy said sarcastically. “Who is this guy Holtz and what exactly does he want with you guys anyway?” Buffy asked as she walked into the lobby and dropped herself on the couch.
Angel growled slightly as Buffy stared down Cordelia. “Cordy did not ‘get herself knocked up’.” Angel said, trying desperately not to loose his temper. “Connor is my son, he is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, the warrior to end all warriors, but more importantly, he is my son.” Angel said as he walked over to Cordy and gently kissed his son’s head and put his arm protectively around Cordelia.
“I’m sorry, want to run that one by me one more time? You’re son?” Xander asked incredulously while Buffy stared at Angel, Cordy, and Connor, the little family waiting for the explanation.
“Well, last year I had somewhat of an identity crisis and I slept with Darla, who had been resurrected. Right afterward I realized what I had done and I told her to leave and never come back, but she did, in the fall and she was extremely pregnant with Connor. He’s not a vampire, he’s a completely normal baby, with a soul and everything, the only difference is he fulfills an ancient prophesy and there are about a hundred different tribes, cults, and individuals trying to kill him. But our main problem is Holtz.” Angel explained.
“Holtz, as in the guy you and Darla used to torment?” Spike asked. “How the bloody hell is he alive, that must have been, what, 150 years ago?” Spike asked incredulously.
“One in the same, we don’t know exactly how he’s alive. Wes thinks that he made a deal with someone or something to bring him to the future after Darla and I killed his family. He now wants to kill my family, the two people he’s after are Cordy and Connor.” Angel said guiltily.
“I don’t get it. The kid I understand, but why Cordelia?” Xander asked.
“Are you blind?” Spike asked, eyeing his sire. “They’re in love with each other. Holtz must have seen them together, the way they hold each other or look at each other and realized that to make Angel truly suffer would be to take away cheerleader and the babe.” Spike said.
“Is this true?” Buffy asked, trying to hide her shock. She received her answer in the form of two slight nods from the seer and vampire with a soul.
“Angel, I got about 5 or 6 guy as of right now.” Gunn said as he came back into the lobby from the office.
“Umm. A little help here!” Came a small meek voice from downstairs as Fred tried to carry her tools and inventions.
“Xander, Spike, go help her.” Buffy ordered. “Well, you guys need us and here we are, at your service. When is he going to attack?” Buffy asked, slipping into slayer mode.
“Tomorrow evening, after dusk, he’ll have some demons with him to help.” Cordelia said, closing her eyes as she relived her vision.
“Then we have 24 hours to prepare.” Buffy said.
“You can stay here at the hotel, I’ll go tidy up some of the rooms upstairs.” Cordy said, handing the baby to Angel and walking upstairs.
“Buffy, are you all right with all this?” Willow whispered to Buffy.
“Surprisingly enough, I’m fine, look at them, they really do love each other, possibly more then we loved each other.” Buffy said as she watched Angel watch Cordy as she went up the stairs.
“So what are you going to do now?” Willow asked.
“Fight.”
Part 3
It was 6:30 and tension and fear were in the air of the Hyperion Hotel.
Cordelia watched from the doorway as the sun set, cradling Connor in her arms and leaning back into Angel’s arms as he wrapped them around her body.
“It’s time.” He said.
“I know.” She said sadly as she looked down at the little boy who she had come to regard as her own. She gently laid a kiss on his forehead before allowing his father to do the same.
“Buffy.” Angel said to the slayer who was sitting with her younger sister and Spike on one of the lobby’s couches.
“Be careful.” She said, standing up and hugging her sister.
“Don’t worry, I will. You too. Take care of her.” Dawn replied, hugging her sister back and giving Spike a quick hug.
“Don’t worry, I always do pet.” Spike said reassuringly.
“Well kiddies, I think that means that it’s my turn to exit with the youngins.” Lorne said, walking over to where Cordelia and Angel stood protectively with Connor. “Don’t worry brown eyes, I’ll protect him with my life.”
“I know you will.” Cordy said, patting Lorne’s arm in thanks.
“Well, come on Dawnie, we’d better get upstairs.” Lorne said as he descended the stairs with a sleeping Connor in his arms.
“Will they be safe up there?” Willow asked, obviously worried.
“As safe as they’re going to get. We barricaded a few rooms and put in a very heavy door, it’ll take awhile for them to breakthrough it and the room that they’re in has a few possible escape routes in case something should go wrong.” Cordy said.
“Wow, you guys have had this stuff in place for awhile haven’t you?” Xander asked with amazement at Cordelia’s efficiency.
“Since Connor was born. I just hope it will work.” She said worriedly.
“Don’t worry Barbi, it will.” Gunn said, throwing her a goofy grin and breaking the somber mood that had descended upon the warriors.
“So, what do we do now?” Fred asked anxiously, speaking up for one of the first times since the Scoobies had arrived.
“We wait.” Wesley said.
Within a few minutes of Wesley’s ominous profession, the doors to the Hyperion hotel swung open and the Daniel Holtz entered, flanked by a red head, who Lorne had informed the gang was his right hand girl and several others, all with the same pained expression that the girl, Justine, shared, one that had previously been seen on Gunn’s face.
“Angelus, we meet again.” Holtz said.
“Geez, are you dense or something? His name is Angel, not Angelus, I have met Angelus and let me tell you, he is no Angelus.” Cordy said, throwing Holtz off guard.
“Hush Seer. This beast has fooled you. He may have a soul, but he is still a vampire, still a beast.” Holtz said with utter distaste. “And for that, he must die.”
With that Holtz’s soldiers entered from entrance of the hotel, followed quickly by demons entering in the back.
Spike, Buffy, Xander, Gunn, and Fred headed off the demons, while the others concentrated on Holtz’s human allies.
Holtz stepped around the fighting and made his way to Angel.
“Where is the child?” Holtz asked.
“Please, do you really think that I would just tell you that?” Angel asked.
“No, so now it appears that we are going to have to do this the hard way.” Holtz said, swinging a sword from his side and preparing to do battle.
Angel took his own sword and the duel began.
The two enemies fought beautifully. They attacked each other with the fluid motions of seasoned fighters, not used to loosing.
While the demon bodies quickly piled up and those responsible moved to help the others with the humans under Holtz’s influence, Angel and Holtz continued their perfect dance of fighting.
It was the sound of a growl that caused the others to look over to where Angel and Holtz were fighting.
Holtz had Angel pinned to the ground, his sword up against his chest in the exact spot where his undead heart rested silently.
“No.” Cordy whispered.
“Don’t worry.” Buffy said to Cordy before running across the lobby and swiftly kicking out Holtz’s legs before he even heard her coming.
Angel to quick advantage of Holtz’s new position and kicked away Holtz’s sword, placing his own where Holtz’s had been positioned on him only seconds before.
“Get out of here before we have to kill you.” Angel growled to Holtz’s comrades, who quickly fled, with the exception of the red head, who stalled before running out after her allies.
“I told you to stay away from my family.” Angel said menacingly to Holtz.
“Oh, like you did with mine!” Holtz spat back.
At Holtz’s violent and emotional filled accusation, Angel removed the sword from Holtz’s heart.
“I’m not the man I used to be.” Angel said simply. “I won’t kill you now Holtz, but I swear to God, if you come anywhere near my family or friends again, anywhere near LA or Sunnydale, then I will hunt you down and kill you, human or not.”
Angel allowed the now bewildered Holtz to get up and pushed him toward the front door of the Hyperion Hotel.
“You may not be able to kill him but I can!” Cordy said as she grabbed Holtz’s abandoned sword and ran toward the departing figure.
“No cheerleader, he’s not worth the torment you’ll suffer, killing a human.” Spike said as he caught the emotional girl and held her until Angel came and took her crumpled and emotionally drained body from his arms.
“Shh. It’s okay. He’s gone now, it’s all over.” Angel said to Cordy as he smoothed her hair back.
“He’s gone now and he’s never coming back.” Angel said as he met Holtz’s gaze, one final threat of what would happen to Holtz if Angel ever saw him again.
With that Daniel Holtz, who had haunted Angel, Cordelia, Connor, and their family for months left the Hyperion.
“It’s all over.” Angel said.
__________________________
“Thanks for coming Buffy.” Cordelia said as she gave her former enemy a brief hug. “I promise that next time you come we won’t spring so much on you at once.” Cordy laughed.
“Okay, that’s good to know.” Buffy smiled as she picked up her bag and began walking to the door with her friends. “You guys should come to Sunnydale soon. We shouldn’t go so long between visits.” Buffy said sincerely.
“Sure, we’ll come down soon.” Angel said.
“Promise?” Buffy asked.
“Promise.”
End.