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Violently Happy	By : marksandspence Category: BtVS Crossovers > Misc - Het - Male/Female Views: 3216 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Part1a
- 2-Part1b
- 3-Part1c
- 4-Part1d
- 5-Part1e
- 6-Part2a
- 7-Part2b
- 8-Part3a
- 9-Part3b
- 10-Part3c
- 11-Part4a
- 12-Part4b
- 13-Part4c
- 14-Part4d
- 15-Part5a
- 16-Part5b
- 17-Part5c
- 18-Part5d
- 19-Part5e
- 20-Part5f
- 21-Part5g
- 22-Part5h
- 23-Part6a
- 24-Part6b
- 25-Part6c
- 26-Part6d
- 27-Part6e
- 28-p.s. Flight of Fancy
- 20
- 21
- 22
Scene 13
The present. Back in the hotel room.
Miranda: “I should’ve just left then. Maybe. But the guilt was back suddenly—the past was back. How did it change from a trick—a game, to reality? [snapping out of her monolog for a moment; looking a bit more emotional than she has up till now] Can I have a cigarette?”
He promptly pulls one out of the pack on the nightstand and lights it for her. She takes it and sits up a bit more. A few minutes pass as she smokes. A few more minutes pass. Spike starts to look a bit impatient—maybe the tiniest bit concerned.
Spike: “I’m guessing that’s not the end, because there definitely hasn’t been a punch line. You gonna get on with it? [she nods, but looks a bit teary.] What’s wrong?”
Miranda: “It’s just....we’re getting to the part you won’t like.”
Spike: [skeptical] “Oh, because the rest of it’s been a barrel of laughs.”
Miranda: [takes a deep breath and gives him a ‘you aint seen nothin’ yet’ look. He promptly gets a cigarette out for himself] “So Angel talked them all down the next day. They asked me questions. I gave them answers. They judged. We had donuts. Things went on—just as usual, if you didn’t look too close. It’s funny, because just as the others pushed me to the periphery, Angel pulled me in tighter. [she shrugs] He was nice. He treated me well. I felt more comfortable than I had before. More time passed—the usual misadventures came and went. One night, we were on our way to a job. I have to admit that I hadn’t listened terribly closely to the details Wesley gave out before we left. Something about security for some guy who was going up against Wolfram and Hart—like a mob boss testifying for the FBI. It was a pretty big deal, I guess, and W&H were scared enough to bring out the big guns to take him out. Our job, of course, was to keep him alive while he was in L.A. That night, we were on our way to meet with him and his men to discuss security at an upcoming event that he insisted on attending during his stay. It seemed ridiculous to me that anyone would risk going to a bloody party when evil incarnate is after you, but there was some explanation that I’ve since forgotten. We arrive at the meeting point, to find a fight already in progress. We all jumped into the mayhem and things got a bit confused—wasn’t exactly easy to tell who was on which side. In the midst of it all, I hear a voice that’s familiar. I turn to see where it’s coming from and I see a face that causes my entire body to go rigid. I can’t move. I realize I’m not breathing. It was the man from the picture—remember that night in Sunnydale? It was him and I was frozen just like in the dream. I was terrified.”
Begin flashback
Fighting mayhem. Wesley, Gunn, Angel and Miranda are fighting the cronies sent by W&H to grab/kill the snitch—the guy’s personal security force are also in the mix, so it’s a fairly big crowd of people fighting each other. Miranda suddenly stops dead, staring at one of the men in the crowd. After a minute, Angel notices and seeing someone coming at her, he calls out. Hearing her name, she turns and inhales sharply, gasping for air. She snaps out of it just in time to brush off the attacker and now that she’s moving, she turns back to the man that had transfixed her before. Now there is determination and fire in her eyes as she starts to make her way towards him. She looks more manic with every step and pounces on him (he didn’t see her coming). She instantly starts to beat the crap out of him—he fights back, but she is wild in her attack and is able to knock him down easily. Soon, she’s got him on his back and she’s punching him hard. Wesley looks over and sees what’s happening. They’ve taken care of most of the cronies at this point, so the fight is slowing down.
Wesley: “Miranda, No! That’s who we’re protecting. [She either doesn’t hear him or doesn’t listen. She stops punching for just a moment to pull out her sword and is about to slice him when Wesley calls out] Angel, stop her!”
Just as she is bringing her sword around, Angel grabs her hand to stop her.
Miranda: [seething] “Let go.”
Angel: “Didn’t you hear Wes? [indicating the man on the ground] He’s not one of the bad guys.”
She looks confused for a second and not trusting the look in her eye, Angel actually takes her sword away and grabs hold of her arm. The man, though hurt, gets up quickly.
Miranda: [a moment’s pause and then renewed determination] “Yes_he_is” [As she says this, she kicks Angel away. She lunges forward, too quick for anyone to stop her. She pushes the man back up against the wall (outside of a building) and pulls out two daggers hooked to her belt. She twirls them and then makes as if she’s going to put one in each of the man’s eyes. She whispers] “I knew I should’ve taken your eyes.”
Angel calls out.
Angel: “Miranda, don’t!”
Instead of driving the daggers into his eyes, Miranda pulls them to the side at the last possible moment and drives them into the wall on either side of his head. She steps away, angrily. His men move protectively to help him. She stalks back towards A, W & G.
Gunn: “What the hell was that about? [to Angel] I think maybe, your girl’s got some anger issues.”
Miranda: [Seething—she is beside herself with anger and frustration. She can barely from words] “He’s not human.”
Wesley: “They’d asked me not to mention that, but you’re right.”
Angel: [to Miranda] “How did you know?”
Miranda: “I killed him once”
Gunn: “Here we go again. Was that before or after the highschooler?”
Angel: [warning] “Gunn”
Miranda: “He’s evil.”
Wesley: [skeptical] “That may be the case, but he’s taking on W&H and there was no indication from the file that he’s particularly dangerous. According to my sources, it would seem he’s lived a rather peaceful life.”
Gunn: [bitter] “This some sort of personal vendetta?”
Miranda: [unfathomable] “You don’t believe me? But he..." [she stops]
Angel: “You’re shaking.” [He goes to touch her arm and she bats it away.]
Wesley: [trying to be helpful] “Perhaps you’re simply confusing him with someone else.”
Miranda: “I have to go. I can’t...”
She reaches out for her sword, which is on the ground near Angel’s feet. It seems to jump into her hand when she’s still about an inch away. She slips it into the holder in her coat and stomps off. She hops on a motorcycle and speeds away. Angel walks/calls after her, but she has none of it.
The gang discuss what just happened. Angel asks Wesley to double-check his sources to make sure the man they’re protecting isn’t a threat. Afterwards, they apologize profusely to the man and promise it was all a big misunderstanding. They get down to business and discuss plans for the upcoming event and then head back to the hotel. Angel is hoping that Miranda will be there. She isn’t.
**
Caritas, sometime later. Miranda comes in and goes straight to the bar. She’s got some very old books with her that she is leafing through. She orders a bottle of whiskey. Her hands are shaking as she lifts the glass. After a few minutes and as many drinks, we see her flinch. She looks around with weary eyes. She sees a young punk (maybe 20) scanning the bar. She calls over to him: “You’re looking for me, I suppose.” He’s an Immortal and had heard a rumor that she sometimes came into this bar. He tries to pick a fight with her. She tells him she won’t fight him—she’s not in the mood and he’s far too young and inexperienced anyway and doesn’t he want to live for a while yet? He’s annoyed at this and gets belligerent as young punks do. She complains to Lorne and asks to have him thrown out. Lorne complies and then promptly makes a call to Angel.
Lorne: “Yeah, I think you might want to get down here. Let’s just say, Miranda isn’t her usual over-the-rainbow self—she’s back at the ranch and from the looks of her, Toto’s already been hauled off in the witch-mobile. I’ve never seen an aura turn completely black before—it’s kinda freaking me out.”
Angel leaves for Caritas. But before he gets there, Miranda gets up to go. She’s rather drunk. She picks up her sword on the way out and is met at the door by the annoying young punk. He tries to get her to fight and she repeatedly brushes him off (physically and verbally). She knocks him back into a dumpster and starts to walk away when he comes up from behind and stabs her in the back—she looks down and sees the blade come through her right side. “bloody hell”. He pulls it out and is standing ready to fight when she turns around. In no more than three moves, she knocks him down. Instead of taking his head, she just stabs him through the heart and leaves him. She’s not feeling any pain, though her wound is bleeding profusely. Next, we see her walk into hotel. She’s wearing all black, so the bleeding is not immediately apparent. Wes, Gunn and Cordy are still there—Angel had asked them to stick around until he’d found Miranda. Without saying a word, Miranda stumbles up to the front desk and throws one of the old books down (in front of Wesley) and opens it to a marked page and points to a picture as if to say ‘aha!’. It’s fairly obvious that she’s still out-of-sorts.
Cordelia: [looking at the book] “This is from the reference section of the library—you are so not supposed to check those out.”
Wesley: “The Sultan of Bengal. Certainly there’s a resemblance. You think it’s him?”
Miranda: “I know it’s him.”
Wesley: “But it gives the whole lineage of his family here—father, brothers, uncles. Look, it says here he had 22 sons. It’s unlikely that he was a demon so meticulously entrenched at that time.”
Miranda: [voice shaky] “I don’t know how, just what. Did you get a good look at him? Read on.”
Wesley: [he reads and then summarizes] “He was murdered at the age of 42. He was found with his throat slit and his right hand missing. The murder was blamed on a disgruntled servant, who was subsequently executed. His twin brother took over power the next month.”
Miranda: “He didn’t have a twin brother.”
Wesley: “So what if it is him. I haven’t found any indication...” [she doesn’t let him finish]
Miranda: [frustrated] “Maybe the things he does are not the kinds of things history takes notice of. We can’t take the job.”
Wesley: “I’m sorry, Miranda, but we already have. Even if he is the man with whom you have a history...”
Miranda: “If?”
Cordelia: “He said he’d never seen you before—he seemed very sincere and concerned for you.”
Miranda: [She lets out a sort of a whimper. They don’t believe her.] “He hurt me.”
Wesley: [some sincere sympathy] “How?”
Miranda: [disbelief] “Does it matter?”
She starts looking even more upset and slightly manic. Wesley steps towards her and moves to put his hand on her shoulder. But just as he reaches out, she recoils away like a frightened animal. Gunn steps up.
Gunn: “Maybe you should sit down—you don’t look so good. [noticing something] What happened to your face?”
There’s a small, bleeding cut on her cheek. He grabs a small piece of gauze bandage from the table and moves toward her (to wipe the blood away) and she recoils from him as well.
Miranda: “An Immortal—tried to pick a fight with me. Just a kid.”
Cordelia: [with a touch of attitude] “So did ya’ kill him?”
Miranda just scowls.
Miranda: [voice shaking again] “I won’t protect him—he deserves death.” [She walks slowly away, towards Angel’s room.]
Cordelia: [noticing something] “Hey is it raining? Her clothes look wet.” [Miranda just keeps walking.]
**
30 minutes later or so, Angel returns to the hotel.
Angel: “She’d already left by the time I got there.”
Cordelia: “She’s upstairs. Can I go now?”
Angel: “Did you find out anything about our client? Anything that might explain Miranda’s...”
Gunn: “Going off the deep end? That girl is seriously wigged about something.”
Wesley: “Nothing new. Miranda may have found something. [indicating the book] I don’t know what it proves exactly, but...” [before he has a change to finish, an odd look crosses Angel’s face]
Angel: “She’s bleeding. A lot.” [He rushes upstairs]
Cordelia: [to herself] “Duh, it was blood, not water. What was I thinking? This is L.A.”
**
Upstairs. Miranda has locked herself in the bathroom. Angel knocks on the door. He hears water running. She doesn’t answer. View from inside the bathroom. Miranda is sitting in a clawfoot tub—she’s holding her knees and is fully clothed. The shower is on low and the tub has filled about halfway with water. The water is red with her blood. She has her sword lying across the bathtub in front of her (i.e., between her knee caps and her head). She is rocking slowly and obviously completely oblivious to Angel’s knocking. Her skin is very white and her lips are almost blue. After a few more increasingly forceful pleas from Angel (which go unacknowledged), he breaks open the door. When this happens, Miranda quickly wraps her arms over her head (as if she’s assuming the crash position) and starts to whimper and rock more quickly.
Angel: “God, Miranda—what happened? The water’s freezing. Let’s get you out of there.”
He reaches to grab her arm and she recoils away from him.
Miranda: “Don’t touch me. [beat] Please don’t.”
Angel: “It’s just me. It’s Angel. [no change] Okay. Okay, I’ll just turn off the water and pull the plug.”
He moves slowly, as any sudden movement from him invokes a frightened whimper and sob from her.
Miranda: [not really talking to Angel—almost mumbling to herself manically. She’s breathing in little gasps] “He’s coming. Have to be ready this time. [beat] Aw, but I’m not. Sometimes I can’t move. [turns to Angel, but its not clear that she sees him] I don’t remember how to hold it (indicating her sword) [she starts reacting to things that aren’t there—she’s reliving the past] Sylvie?” [then she tenses up again and covers her head with her arms]
Angel: “Miranda? Look at me. There’s no one else here. Just you and me.”
Miranda: “But he’s coming to take me away again. Just like before. It all has to be just_like_before. [intonation change] Sylvie, why don’t you open the windows—it’s such a nice day.” [sobbing and rocking]
Angel gets closer and kneels by the tub. It’s obvious she’s mentally in another place. He gently touches her cheek—she doesn’t flinch this time. He turns her head to face him.
Angel: “Stay with me, Miranda. Who am I? Focus now. Who am I?”
Miranda: [she blinks; in a whisper] “Angel.”
Angel: “No one’s going to take you away.”
Miranda: “Yes. I have to be ready. I don’t know how. I hear them. Sylvie? I’m so sorry.” [She grasps the blade of her sword from above.]
Angel: “Who’s Sylvie? Tell me what happened.” [He gently pulls her hands away from the sword—she’s cutting herself.]
Miranda: [still manic/crying] They killed her. Sylvie was my maid—my best friend. [pause] Then I saw her. They dragged me from the bath. Everything was rushing past and I didn’t know what was happening. Then she was there. So much blood. I was just taking my Sunday bath. They didn’t have to kill her—she couldn’t’ve stopped them.”
Angel: “shhh. It’s Okay. If we’re going to be ready, you have to let me bandage your wound.”
Miranda: “Am I bleeding?”
Angel: “Yeah. Looks like you were stabbed. What happened?”
Miranda: “I don’t remember. [pause] I’m so afraid.”
Angel: “I’ll protect you; it’ll be alright. Lets get you out of those wet clothes”
Miranda: [frantic] “No. No, I can’t be naked when they come.”
Angel: “Okay. I’ll get some dry clothes and be right back.”
She nods. He goes out into their room, gets a blanket and some clothes and comes back in. He gets the exact same reaction as when he came in the first time—she’s completely reverted back. He gently talks her down and is able to put the blanket around her and pull her from the tub. He changes her clothes and bandages her wound. She’s catatonic throughout.
Miranda: [weary] “You won’t let him take me?”
Angel: “Never.” [she nods]
Miranda: [seeming a bit more with it.] “Will you kill him for me?”
Angel: “We don’t even know it’s him. We’ll talk about it once you’ve rested.”
He lifts her up to carry her into the bedroom—she’s rigid as a board. She reaches up and locks her arms tightly around his neck. He moves to set her on the bed, but she won’t let go of him. So he lies down himself with her (actually, he’s sitting up with his legs out—she’s curled up on him, with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.)
Angel: “God, you’re still shaking. What...?” [She shakes her head, indicating that she doesn’t want to talk about it. They just sit like that for hours. At some point, he feels her body loosen a bit and her breathing become more regular. He strokes her hair.] Do you want some tea to warm you up? I’m not much good for that.”
Miranda: “Yes, please.”
He moves to get up and put the kettle on, but she still won’t let go of him, so he just carries her around with him as he makes the tea. She does actually, release him when she goes to drink her tea, but she keeps one hand around his neck.
Miranda: [after a few minutes] “It was an Immortal who stabbed me. He was trying to pick a fight.”
Angel: “Yeah, Lorne mentioned someone was bothering you. Let me have a look. [He peeks at the bandage] It’s still bleeding a bit.”
Miranda: “Sometimes if I’m upset, I don’t heal properly.”
Angel: “Do you want to talk about it?”
Miranda: [her body starts to go rigid again] “Not yet. I think I can sleep now. Promise to not let go?”
Angel: “Promise.”
They both sleep for a bit. Soon it’s morning and the others arrive back at the hotel. They sheepishly knock on the door to Angel and Miranda’s room. Angel quietly gets up from the bed and answers the door.
Cordelia: “Yeah, um. How are things?”
Wesley: “We need to talk about this evening.”
Angel: “Give me a few minutes?” [they agree to come back in 10 minutes. By the time Angel gets back to the bed, Miranda is waking up.] I need to talk about some things with the others, so I’m going to go downstairs for a few minutes.”
Miranda: [taking this in, she starts to tense up] “Can you bring them up here? I’ll take a shower and you can talk in the other room.” [she gives him serious puppy-dog eyes]
Angel: “Ok, that will work. Do you need help getting up?”
Miranda: “hm. I think I’m Ok.”
After a few minutes, she gets up and goes into the bathroom. The others come into the room and they start the meeting.
Angel: [he’s pacing] “So how important is this guy we’re protecting, anyway?”
Wesley: “Based on what we know, he has the power to strike a serious blow to the source of Wolfram and Hart’s power. If things go well, he might actually sever the ties between the firm and the senior partners. So I would say, very important.”
Angel: “Miranda’s terrified of him. Absolutely terrified. She refuses to talk about it. All I know is she spent the last 8 hours clinging so tightly to my neck that if had circulation, she would’ve been cutting it off.”
Cordelia: [skeptical] “Miranda, terrified. How surprisingly un-butch.”
Gunn: “I hate to say it, but you sure it wasn’t an act? She sure didn’t look terrified last night when she was pummeling his ass.”
Angel: “Believe me, I know fear. At the very least, we can’t have her involved with this job.”
Cordy makes a sort of sigh/moan-y sound.
Angel: “What?”
Wesley: “Yes, well, Mr. Smith, as we’ve taken to calling him, just phoned to request that Miranda be his primary guardian at the event tomorrow. As she was the one who almost killed him last night, he feels that her having had the opportunity and then not taking it means that she can be trusted above all others. He was rather insistent.”
Angel: “Out of the question.”
Cordelia: “But there is one teeny weeny detail that Wesley failed to mention...”
Miranda: [appearing from the shower in a robe] “How much did he offer to pay?”
Angel: “What? Miranda, why don’t you lie down in the bedroom—we’ll be done here in a minute.”
Miranda: [to Wes] “He offered you a bonus in exchange for my services. How much?”
Wesley: “Does it matter?”
Miranda: “I’d guess an extra $40,000; no wait $39,000.”
Wesley: [shocked] “How did you know?”
Miranda: [bitter laugh] “He once told me only a fool would spend more money on a woman than a horse—at the time, he’d just spend 40 gold pieces on a prize stallion.”
Angel: “Call him back and decline the offer.”
Miranda: “So you’re going ahead with it. You’re going to protect him.”
Wesley: “We’ll take every precaution. Whatever he’s done in the past, we need him now.” [Everyone is looking at Angel]
Angel: “We do what we agreed to do—Miranda stays out of it.”
Miranda: [she shudders and then takes a deep breath] “No, I’ll do it.”
Angel: “What?”
Miranda: [desperately trying to regain control of herself] “I’ll be his date tomorrow night. But I have two conditions.”
Gunn: “Anyone else see the flaw in this plan?”
Wesley: “What are your conditions?”
Miranda: “Tell Angel how to kill him. I need to know that he can protect me if necessary.”
Wesley: “Sounds reasonable. And?”
Miranda: “And Cordelia sits this one out.”
Cordelia: “Hey! I’m not missing the party.”
Miranda: [dead serious] “Cordelia stays away from him.”
Wesley: “I think that can be arranged.”
Angel: [to Miranda] “You sure you want to do this?”
Miranda: “Not in the least, but that’s life, isn’t it? What’s that line about keeping your enemies closer?” [a touch of bitterness]
**
Miranda prepares herself for the next night. She still refuses to talk about the details of her experience with the sultan. She’s very quiet, determined and withdrawn as she gets ready—she doesn’t say more than a few words to anyone. She chooses a very sexy red dress—it has an open neckline. She wears a matching choker necklace that has bits of red colored glass that hang down the front and the back of her neck—they resemble drops of blood. She puts a dark rinse in her hair, straightens it and goes a little extreme with dark eyeliner and red lipstick. Of course, she has a multitude of weapons hidden under her skirt. They go to the party. The first and only thing she says to him is: “There’s only one rule tonight. You don’t touch me. You touch me, you lose your other hand.” Everything is going according to plan. He pretends not to know her whenever they’re in front of anyone—she tries to bait him a couple of times, but he doesn’t succumb. There is music. At one point he unexpectedly pulls her to the dance floor—they’re surrounded by other guests, so she can’t make a scene. He’s touching her and you can see her revulsion mixed with terror. She clenches her teeth and refuses to look at Angel, who is keeping an eye on them from a balcony above. It’s taking everything she has to hide her fear. Just as the song is ending, he whispers in her ear.
Sultan: “Funny how things stay the same—every woman has her price. But I have to wonder, will I get what I paid for this time?”
She doesn’t respond and breaks away from him. She’s afraid that if she says anything, she’ll lose it. Shortly thereafter, there is some sort of incident (attempt on the Sultan’s life), which they successfully avert. The party is over. The last part of their obligation is to deliver him (and his men) to the docks, where a boat is waiting to pick him up. They arrive at the drop point. Miranda is obviously very cross that he hasn’t made a move or given anything away—she wanted him to reveal something so the others wouldn’t think she was making it all up. Wesley gave her some throwaway comment about things going very smoothly. Miranda, Angel, Gunn and the Sultan get out of the limo (Wes stays inside)—the other men are arriving in a second car. Angel walks out towards the dock to make sure it’s all clear. The Sultan starts to speak to Miranda in a language that no-one else understands.
Sultan: [translation] “One thing I’ve always wondered. What did you do with my ring? I thought perhaps you’d sell it—you could have asked any price. But my men weren’t able to track it down. Maybe you still have it?”
Miranda: [very bitter] “I spit on it and threw it in the sea along with your hand.”
Sultan: “Defiant ‘till the end. Gives me chills. Oh, but I have a present for you. For being a good little girl and obeying your boss and lover tonight.”
He pulls a necklace out of his pocket and holds it up so that she can see the pendant. She glances at it, skeptically, but when her eyes fix on it, she has a flash of recognition. We see what she sees, which is a vision of a beautiful dark-haired woman, smiling at her, wearing that pendant around her neck.
Miranda: [she mutters] “Isabella.” [then it hits her what this means]
Sultan: [once he sees that she recognizes the pendant, his voice changes to one of anger and disdain] “You thought you could take her from me, you worthless whore? She was mine. You hid well, but I found her. It disgusts me that you dared touch her in that way. She had to be punished. I had hoped to have her watch you die, but I had to settle for her pathetic husband.”
As Miranda takes this in, she hears herself telling the story to her new friends: (“Tara: “Did you ever see her again?” Miranda: “No. By the time I returned to Europe, I decided to just let it pass. She did promise to name her first daughter after me and so I took much pleasure in envisioning a dark-haired, dark-skinned Miranda running about the Italian countryside.” Angel: “You’re daughter’s name was Isabella” Miranda: [nodding] “Hm. Yes. I thought it only fair to have a pasty-skinned, freckled, Isabella in return”) Now she’s struck with the fact that Isabella never made it to Italy—there was never a little Miranda. She had spent so many hours over the years dreaming of the beauty and simplicity of Isabella’s life—those thoughts had comforted her so many times. Now Isabella didn’t have a life. This realization utterly crushes her. She can’t move. She can’t speak. There is the distinct look of defeat in her eyes. Seeing this, the Sultan smiles and leans forward to secure the necklace around her neck. He even kisses her on the cheek. She doesn’t move or react. Her eyes are dead.
Sultan: [seeing the defeat in her eyes] “Ah. So easy this time. Finally, my money’s worth.”
Angel comes back and he can see that something is very wrong. The Sultan takes a few steps away and chats with his bodyguards.
Angel: [to Miranda] “You Ok?”
Miranda: [mumbles] “He’s won. It’s over.”
Angel: “What? Hang in there—he’ll be out of our lives as soon as we get him on that boat.”
Angel walks towards the Sultan and Miranda slides down the side of the limo and sits on the ground—she stares at nothing off in the distance. Angel starts escorting the men towards the dock. The men are talking/joking around in the same language that the Sultan had just been using to speak to Miranda. Angel is a step behind them—he starts to have a concerned look on his face.
BG (bodyguard):[translated] “You don’t want her?”
Sultan: “Nah. She’s of no interest to me. The fun is in the breaking. Same with horses. Now she’s only flesh.”
BG: “Maybe, but I can imagine that flesh could keep us all amused for a bit—we may be at sea for a time.”
Sultan: “I’ll admit that the color of her dress suits her. [remembering] There was nothing quite like the sight of blood dribbling down her pale white skin—[evil grin] even better between her thighs. You know, blood makes a fine lubricant.” [The bodyguards laugh]
Angel: [casual & friendly tone] “Uh, guys. Hold up a minute. [They stop and turn around, looking mildly annoyed at the interruption.] I’ve been meaning to mention that I’ve spent some time in your part of the world over the years—it’s really quite lovely; great architecture. [They just give him a ‘so what’ shrug] Yeah, quite lovely. [He draws his sword] And such an interesting language—never thought I’d pick it up, but I guess I just had an ear for it.”
Switch to Miranda’s/the limo’s perspective.
Gunn: “Uh, Wes. I think we may have a problem.”
Miranda looks over just in time to see Angel slice the Sultan in half with the sword. He then quickly dispatches the bodyguards and pulls a powder out of his pocket, which he sprinkles on the body. He says a few words and ‘poof’, the body turns to ash. He walks quickly back to the limo, pulls Miranda up and hugs her.
Angel: [whispers in her ear] “I’m so sorry.”
Gunn: “Yeah, we definitely have a problem. Someone should call Cordy and tell her not to bother with the invoice.”
Angel: “We should get out of here. He’s got men on the boat.”
Wesley: “What happened?”
Angel: “I’ll explain later. Let’s just go.”
It’s obvious Wes is angry. He exchanges a look with Gunn. They get in the limo and drive off. It’s all very silent on the ride back to the hotel. Once they’re safely away, Miranda inconspicuously takes hold of Angel’s hand and squeezes it. He looks over and they lock eyes for a moment—She flashes him a quick smile of gratitude.
**
The next morning. Angel and Miranda are still in bed, drinking tea.
[Writer’s note: When I came up with this part of the Miranda’s backstory, I was a bit confused about the timing of it (it was before I’d seen FFL, I think, and so I was thinking that she and Spike were older). So anyway, it doesn’t actually make much sense in terms of historical setting, but I ask that you just suspend your disbelief. It will be over soon—I’m too lazy to think of something else.]
Miranda: “I was a courtesan, but I refused him. I had been successful enough to be able to choose my partners by that point. It was the only position of power a woman could have in those days. The only way to be free. Or so I thought.”
Angel: “You don’t have to...”
Miranda: “It’s alright. I’d like you to know. [continuing] He was angry. He bought someone off who told him where to find me—I think it must have been one of my regulars. I was a very stubborn girl. He had a harem, like men of his country did and I was added to it. I continued to refuse him. He had me beaten. At first, I thought it was simply punishment for my defiance. But things started to change. Soon it wasn’t about getting me to dress and act like the others—getting me to lay back and not fight—it was more than that. My defiance spurred him on. He seemed to beat me for the sake of it. I remember thinking that if he hated me so much, as he said, why didn’t he just kill me? Then I’d be free—not that he knew that, of course. But he always stopped just short of death. He knew exactly how far he could go—he’d done this before. Of course, with my ability to heal, he pushed it further and further. But still, he never quite crossed the line. Things became more psychological. He liked to see my reaction when he hurt people in front of me. He convinced me it was my doing—my punishment. Little girls, mostly. Sometimes they died. His servants? Maybe his own daughters. The record said he had 22 sons—but what happened to all the girls? They didn’t care about them at that time, in that place—women and girls were worthless. God, why was I so stubborn? But he wouldn’t let me fake it—you can’t fake being broken. He wanted to draw it out as long as possible. I was terrified because I knew no one would ever look for me or rescue me—he could torture me forever and there was nothing I could do. Back then, I didn’t even know how to hold a sword properly—I couldn’t fight back.”
Angel: “How long?”
Miranda: “Six months—about. Is that pathetic? You were in hell for 100 years and I couldn’t take six months without it reducing me to a blubbering idiot. The thing is, I’d never known evil before—at least not that kind of evil. I didn’t know people like him existed. I couldn’t comprehend that someone could simply enjoy watching someone else suffer at their hand. I was so naïve. In the end, I was able to convince one of the guards to take pity on me and end my suffering. I’m sure he was punished for it. I climbed my way out of the pit they threw me in and snuck back into his palace. Just as I’d never known evil before, I’d never known the kind of hatred and rage I felt towards him. He’d awoken something in me I didn’t know existed—I enjoyed watching him die.”
Angel: “It’s over now.”
Miranda just gives him a knowing look as if to say “is it?”—she’d changed because of what happened and there was never any going back from there. Later on, Angel tries to explain to the others why he ended up killing the Sultan. They sort of understand, but the danger had already past and there was still no evidence that he’d got up to his old tricks again. Whatever. After the fact, they’d been able to find out that he had, as a human, made some sort of pact with a tribe of demons who promised to make him immortal in exchange for something or other. So he was human before she killed him and a demon when he was brought back.
Scene 14
Present day, back in the hotel room. Miranda is continuing her story.
Miranda: “Things were different after that. I felt safe. Maybe that is what happiness is. Mainly, I felt closer to him—there was a warmth that wasn’t there before. It was the feeling that was supposed to go along with the vision the priest had shown me—it seemed attainable. [Her voice is starting to shake a bit. She doesn’t look at Spike at all during this part.] I started to think ahead. We talked about getting an apartment nearby—a place with a proper kitchen. Cordelia and I did some browsing around the local area during the days. Time passed. [deep breath] Then one day I found something I liked.”
Begin flashback
Angel is sitting on a couch, reading a book. Miranda comes in and sits down next to him. She’s smiling.
Miranda: “Good book?”
Angel: [He glances up, but keeps reading.] “It’s getting there.”
Miranda: [Impatient, she glances at the title] “She lives. The uncle murdered the stable boy. She doesn’t marry him and nobody lives happily ever after.”
Angel: [mock annoyed, he closes the book] “Someday, I’m going to find a book you haven’t read.”
Miranda: “Unlikely.”
Angel: “Hm. [looking at her more closely] Did you just run up the stairs?”
Miranda: “No.” [She’s got a real ‘I’ve got a secret’ grin on her face.]
Angel: [suspicious] “What’s that look? I’m supposed to have noticed something, right? Haircut? Shoes?”
Miranda: “No.”
Angel: [He can’t help but grin back] “So what’s with the Cheshire grin?”
Miranda: “Hm. I like it when you smile. [beat] Maybe I’ve got something to tell you.”
Angel: [guessing] “Did you and Cordy find a place?”
Miranda: “We did. I can arrange with the landlord for you to see it tomorrow night.”
Angel: “I don’t need to see it. I’m sure if you like it, it’ll be fine.”
Miranda: “You sure you’re alright with this? Moving away from the business?”
Angel: [Concerned] “How far is it?”
Miranda: “Only a few blocks. And you can always stay here if you feel you need to. [big smile] It’s nice.”
Angel: “Then I doubt I’ll be able to stay away.”
She moves over and straddles him on the couch—she puts her hands on his chest and he puts his hands on her hips.
Angel: “You sure you’re OK? You’re hearts beating kinda fast.”
Miranda: [giggle] “I’m fine.”
Angel: [a bit worried] “This isn’t about the apartment, is it?” [It' not really a question.]
Miranda: “Nope. It’s just that I wanted to tell you...that...I’m happy. Things are good.” [She looks happy and relaxed.]
Angel: [He smiles and pushes the hair back from her face.] “You deserve to be happy.”
Miranda: “No really. Maybe. [pause] But I realized something else today. [A bit more serious—she looks straight at him.] Angel, I love you.”
It’s as if she’s giving him something by telling him this—a gift. He looks at her for a moment as it sinks in. She leans in closer to whisper in his ear. He starts to look agitated.
Miranda: [Her lips just an inch from his left ear, she says softly again] “I love you.” [and then smiles with a look of peaceful resignation.]
**
Back to the present
Miranda: “The next thing I remember is the feeling of his teeth biting into my neck. It was quite a shock—as I’d mentioned, not something we’d done, and this seemed a particularly inappropriate time to begin.”
**
Flashback
Miranda: [in a weakening voice] “Too fast...too much...” [Her eyes flutter and she’s out.]
**
Present
Miranda: “I was out cold. I woke up sometime later—maybe a couple of hours. He’d gone. I stumbled around looking for him, but couldn’t go far because I was too weak. I had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I decided to call Wesley to see if maybe he’d been called out on a job or something. I was very casual about it—he said he hadn’t heard from him. He said he was on his way in—was having trouble sleeping (it was very early in the morning). I heard him arrive downstairs within the hour. I put on a scarf and some lipstick made my way down the steps.”
Flashback
Wesley: “Still no word from him?”
Miranda: “Nah. He sometimes goes out when it’s still dark and I’ve already gone to bed. He’s probably just taking a walk.”
Wesley: [sensing something is wrong] “Would you like me to call Gunn? He might’ve heard something.”
Miranda: “Don’t go to any trouble. I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
Wesley: “You don’t look well; can I get you something?”
Miranda: “Perhaps a glass of water. I think I may have a touch of a fever—I do get bugs from time to time.”
She’s not covering her anxiety very well and he can see she’s not being completely honest. He goes and pours her a glass of water and hands it to her. She takes a deep drink. She’s holding her neck very straight.
Wesley: “I don’t mean to pry, but did you and Angel have an argument?”
Miranda: “Not so much an argument exactly. [beat] Are we still friends, Wesley? Like before?”
Wesley: [He does actually pause a moment here to consider, after all that’s happened.] “Yes. Yes, of course.”
Miranda: “I’m afraid I may have gone a bit far. Men generally fear commitment, right?”
Wesley: “Often.”
Miranda: “All this talk about apartments and the future—I think I may have spooked him a bit.”
Wesley: “Doesn’t sound like Angel. He loves you.”
Miranda: “I don’t know. One minute I was telling him how I felt and the next he was gone.”
Wesley: “What did he say?”
Miranda: “Nothing. He just left. [getting a bit nervous] You know, I think I’ll go upstairs and wait for him there. I’m quite tired." [She gets up, but then collapses. Wesley rushes over.]
Wesley: “You aren’t well. And you’re not telling me everything.”
Miranda: “It’s nothing.”
Wesley: [looking at her more carefully now—seeing the scarf and the lipstick and her coloration] “He bit you, didn’t he?”
Miranda: “Please, Wesley, I think he’d be mortified if anyone found out.”
Wesley: [getting worried] “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Miranda: “It isn’t a big deal. Remember, Spike used to bite me.”
Wesley: “But Angel never has.” [He doesn’t know this—he’s guessing.]
Miranda: “No, never. [considering for a moment] I think he just lost control—he’d always refused when I’d offered before. It’s a thing. [convincing herself] Yes, he must’ve let himself go for an instant and now feels ashamed and so doesn’t want to see me. He took too much, too fast and I passed out—I’m sure he feels terribly about it. He hates to lose control.”
Wesley: “Tell me exactly what happened just before he bit you.”
Miranda: [a bit embarrassed] “I don’t see why it’s relevant. [He gives her an insistent look] I’d just told him about the apartment...and...that I loved him. It must’ve been too much for him, see? Men—they chase you when they don’t have you, then..."
Her voice trails off. She isn’t convinced and despite herself, she’s starting to cry. She can feel that something is very wrong.
Wesley: [deepening frown] “You’re probably right. [He’s just trying to placate her] Cold feet. Perhaps you should rest upstairs. I’ll ask Cordelia to pick up some sports drink on her way in to work.”
Miranda: [she nods] “Yes, I suppose I should rest. You’ll get me if he calls?”
Wesley: “Of course.” [He tries to force a smile, but it just looks creepy.]
Miranda: “Be sure to tell him I’m not angry. You know, if he asks.”
Wes helps her up and she carefully starts to ascend the stairs. She looks like she’s about to say something, but then decides against it and continues walking. As soon as she’s out of sight, Wesley picks up the phone.
Wesley: “Is that Gunn? Sorry to wake you. Yes, I think you should come right over. We may have a situation.”
He hangs up and then calls Cordelia and asks her to stop at the store on her way in. Flash forward about 30 minutes. Cordelia arrives.
Cordelia: “What’s with the mug? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. And what’s with the weapons inventory?”
Wesley: “Uh. Couldn’t sleep.”
Cordelia: “So you thought you’d come here and count swords and stakes? Cause that’s not the tiniest bit gay.”
Wesley: “You haven’t heard from Angel this morning, by chance?”
Cordelia: “It’s 6am—it’s not even light out yet. [sarcasm] I mean, we used to stay up to all hours talking on the phone about hair and shopping, but we’ve had to cut back—phone bills and all.”
Wesley: “Oh.”
Cordelia: [getting the weird vibe] “What’s wrong?”
Wesley: “Let’s wait for Gunn.”
Cordelia: “Fine. Here’s your Gatorade, by the way. I had to go to that 24-hour mini-mart up the street. The cashier gives me the creeps—SO not human.”
Wesley: “It’s for Miranda.”
Cordelia: “Oh.” [starting to look suspicious] “’cause the last time I bought Gatorade for Miranda, she’d been kidnapped by vampires. [Wes is trying to look as casual as possible—not succeeding. She’s putting things together.] So, you call me in to the office at some ungodly hour, presumably because of some emergency, Gunn’s on his way, you’re in the process of inventorying our assortment of vampire-killing weapons, Angel’s missing, and...Miranda’s been bitten. OH_MY_GOD. Please tell me my boss hasn’t let his happy out.”
Gunn: [coming through the door] “Who’s happy?”
Wesley: “With any luck, no one.”
Gunn: “Not usually the kind of thing I’d wish for—you people are seriously messed up, you know that?”
Cordelia: [to Wes] “So you THINK or you KNOW that he’s reverted to ‘the killer, formerly known as Angelus’. ‘Cause if you know and you’re just dilly-dallying around with these baby toys, then I’m going to be very annoyed. Followed by terrified and then there’s a very good chance I may actually freak out.”
Gunn: [looking at the spread of weapons on the floor] “Baby toys? Will someone please explain to the black man what’s going on here, ‘cause I’m getting that out-of-the-loop feeling I get when I’m out-of-the loop.”
Cordelia: “Angel might be evil. We should call Buffy.”
Wesley: “Let’s not jump to any conclusions. I mean, the only thing we know for sure is that he bit Miranda and then took off. There could be any number of explanations.”
They all just stand and look at each other nervously for a moment. Then simultaneously, they head for the pile of weapons and start urgently rummaging through them. They’re so busy that they don’t notice Angel walk in the front door. He stops a few feet in front of them.
Angel: “Hi.”
They all look up. Wesley has a crossbow in one hand and a sword in another.
Wesley: “Oh, hello.”
Angel: “I’m not...I didn’t...I mean, it’s still...It’s just me.”
Cordelia: “’me’ Angel, or ‘me’ I’m-here-to-kill-you-all-with-a-smirk-because-I’m-evil-again??”
Angel: “I don’t smirk.”
Cordelia: [She drops the sword she was holding.] “It’s him.”
Wesley sheepishly tries to hide his armful of weapons.
Wesley: “Sorry. Didn’t want to take any chances.”
Angel: “You shouldn’t. Ever. You found Miranda?”
Wesley: “She came down about an hour ago. [His expression lightens a bit.] Huh, so you’re afraid of commitment. Didn’t see that one coming.”
Angel: [ignoring the last bit] “Is she OK?”
Wesley: “She’s resting.”
Angel: “Did she tell you what happened?”
Wesley: “As much as she remembers.”
Angel: [He’s quite out-of-sorts. He sits down and puts his elbows on his knees and rests his chin on his clasped hands.] “Out-of-the-blue, she just said it. She meant it. I could feel it start. All of a sudden, I had everything I wanted and I couldn’t stop myself from feeling it. There wasn’t any time to prepare. I panicked. I did the only thing I could think of that would definitely break the moment.”
Wesley: “It obviously worked.”
Angel: “This time.”
Cordelia: “So let me get this straight—there was absolutely no sex of any kind involved in the almost-soul-losing moment. Interesting twist on the ‘perfect happiness’ motif. I think I may have a newfound respect for men.”
Angel: “I need to talk to her. I need to explain.”
Wesley: “How much does she know?”
Angel: “Uh. We hadn’t actually...”
Cordelia: “She knows about the last time, right? With Buffy?”
Angel: [sheepish] “Well. It never really came up...exactly.”
Cordelia: “huh”
Wesley: “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to see her just yet. Perhaps you need some time to...uh...collect your thoughts.”
Angel: [nodding agreement] “But I can’t just leave her up there—she needs to know what’s going on.”
Cordelia: [genuinely sympathetic] “I’ll go. [pause] Should I tell her everything?”
Angel frowns and then nods. Cordelia grabs the Gatorade and heads upstairs.
**
Some time later, Cordelia comes down the stairs. Everyone is just sitting around looking mope-y.
Angel: “How is she?”
Cordelia: “Alright, considering. I think. Hard to tell—she didn’t say much. Well, except to ask why none of us had said anything before—why we hadn’t warned her. It’s funny, but I didn’t have an answer. I mean, that’s usually the first thing I tell anyone who shows the slightest interest in you. I seem to remember thinking about it, but why didn’t I ever say anything? Weird.”
Gunn: “And we all know it isn’t your style to keep quiet like that.”
Wesley: “But none of us said anything. What are the odds?”
Cordelia: “She had lunch with Buffy and she didn’t say anything either. That’s freaky.”
Gunn: “You think there might be some sort of mojo pushing the odds in the right direction?”
Wesley: “It’s possible, I suppose. But who would do such a thing?”
Gunn: “We did actually blow up a floor or two of Wolfram and Hart not too long ago. That tends to rub people the wrong way. Go figure.”
Wesley: “Seems a bit too subtle to be their work. I’ll look into it.”
**
After talking with Wes and doing a bit of meditating, Angel decides it’s time he talked to Miranda himself. It’s now the late afternoon of that same day. He goes to find her in their room upstairs. When he comes into the room she stands up—she’d been sitting in one of the comfy chairs. There’s a moment of silence.
Angel: “You’re O.K.; I didn’t mean to...” [He’s talking about the biting.]
Miranda: [brushing it off] “It’s fine. I told you it would be. [She moves the scarf slightly] It’ll be gone by tomorrow. I didn’t intend to tell the others—I was just worried about you and Wesley has an eye for these things.”
Angel: [He shrugs as if to say, it’s no big deal.] “Did Cordy explain everything?”
Miranda: [big sigh.] “Gypsies. [a bit flippant] Who knew?”
Angel: “I should have told you. I’m sorry.”
Miranda: “Yeah, and why exactly didn’t you? No one seems to be able to give me a straight answer on that one.”
Angel: “Wes thinks there might have been some sort of...[catches Miranda’s deepening glare]...I guess I assumed you already knew. I figured Buffy would have mentioned it.”
Miranda: [a bit incredulous] “You assumed.”
Angel: “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Maybe I thought it could be different this time—I might be able to control it; control how I felt.”
Miranda: “Because I’m not Buffy.”
Angel: [He ponders this a moment--perhaps there is an element of truth in it. Still, it would do no good to admit that now.] “Because I knew what would happen if I couldn’t.”
Miranda: [definite touch of bitterness] “And yet, somehow, you still failed to mention anything to me. [snarky] Because you MIGHT be able to control it. I see.”
Angel: [He takes a couple of steps closer to her] “Miranda, I...” [She doesn’t let him finish.]
Miranda: [Starting to tear up slightly. Under her breath, to herself: “All this and I end up almost causing what I came here to prevent.” Resigned/sad tone with a touch of frustration] So that’s it then? What, I’m supposed to pack my bags and be on my merry way?”
Angel: “No. I...I...don’t know. It’s dangerous now, but maybe...”
He doesn’t know what to say, and at this point, Miranda leans over and puts her hands on her knees/thighs and lowers her head—she looks as though she is about to break down. He steps closer to try to comfort her. But just as he gets close enough to touch her, she lifts her head and starts shaking it.
Miranda: “No. I can’t do this. There’s been enough bloody crying.”
***
[narration from Miranda in the present (henceforth M-ip)]
M-ip: “At that moment, something sort of snapped in me. I was at the point of either breaking down in tears over the whole business and feeling sorry for myself OR getting angry. At the time, rage seemed the healthier option, so I went with it.”
**
She stands up, pauses a moment and then clocks Angel square in the face with a mean right hook. He goes flying back as if he’d been hit by the slayer.
**
M-ip: “I don’t know quite where the strength came from, but I managed to send him flying. I’m pretty sure I broke his nose, which is damn impressive considering he’s a vampire and all. Broke a couple of bones in my hand doing it, but it was worth it to see the shocked look on his face. After that, I didn’t hold back. I let it all come roaring out.”
**
Miranda: [seething rage mixed with tears—she’s shouting] “You selfish bastard. You fucking wanted it all. I gave up EVERYTHING to come here. [brief pause] I HATE this city—It’s nothing but sickness and death to me. I gave up EVERYTHING for you. I was happy. Now it's all gone. Irretrievable. All for you. How could you have not warned me? BASTARD.”
She grabs her coat and her sword and goes stomping off. He stands up and follows her down the stairs.
Angel: “Where are you going?”
Miranda: “Wherever you can’t.”
She kicks open the front door and heads into the daylight. We hear the sound of her motorcycle as she speeds away.
Cordelia: [noticing his bloody nose] “I’m thinking it didn’t go well.”
Angel: “Gunn, could you keep an eye on her until dark?”
Gunn: “Sure, man. I’ll get right on it.”
**
Many hours later. Outside St. Michael’s church.
Miranda pulls up on her motorcycle. She climbs off and heads straight for the front door. It’s locked. She manages to break the lock with her sword and kick it open. We see Gunn off in the distance watching her—he makes a call and then heads towards the entrance. Now we see Miranda in the church. She finds the lights and turns them on. She looks around, wild eyed. She heads to Father Dunn’s quarters. His door is open. He’s sitting at his desk, reading something in brail. He looks up when he hears her enter. He can sense her emotion—it’s as if she’s sending out electricity or energy into the room.
Miranda: [shaking with anger] “You knew, didn’t you? It wasn’t true and you knew it and you showed me anyway. I trusted you and you betrayed me. Why must I be punished? Why? [beat] Well, I’m done with it. Done. It was all for fucking nothing. [she shouts] NOTHING.”
Not waiting for a response, she stalks back into the main part of the church.
Father Dunn: [to himself; she’s already out of earshot] “Maybe not, my child. Show them your rage and perhaps they will listen.” [He gets up, puts on his coat and starts to shuffle towards a door leading to the outside.]
**
M-ip: “I started screaming. Every blasphemy I could think of. Every curse I’d ever heard. But that wasn’t enough. I took my sword and started hacking at the statues—they were wood and easy to break. I cut the wings off of every angel I could find. I used my sword to destroy anything that could be destroyed. And when I was too tired to swing my sword one more time, I curled up in one of the pews and sobbed.”
**
Angel appears outside of the church. He walks up the steps and peers through the doors that are still slightly ajar. [Writer’s note: For some reason, back when I conceived of this, I was thinking that a vampire couldn’t go into a church. Of course, now I know that they can. Oops. In my world, he can’t go inside, ok? Sue me.] Angel looks heart broken as he stands on the steps, wondering what to do. He hears a voice.
Father Dunn: “Young man, could you help me a moment. I’ve dropped my cane and it’s slid down into the ditch.”
Angel: [mildly annoyed] “Now’s not really...[catching himself] Of course. [He starts looking around by the old man’s feet for the cane] Isn’t it kind of late to be taking a walk?”
Father Dunn: “Is it late? I’m afraid I’m quite blind—night or day makes no difference to me.”
Angel: [getting frustrated] “I’m not seeing anything. You sure you dropped it here?”
Father Dunn: “Perhaps I was mistaken. Might you just lead me to the bench near the front door? I can make my way from there without it.”
Angel: [frowning—he wants to talk to Gunn, who has gone inside] “Take my arm.”
The old priest takes hold of his arm and they walk slowly towards the bench. When they arrive, the man sits.
Father Dunn: “Care to sit with me a moment?”
Angel: “I don’t mean to be rude, but...”
Father Dunn: “She’s in there, but you can’t join her. He’s with her now.”
Angel: [shocked] “What? I...”
Father Dunn: “You are the dark one that Miranda talked about. Please, sit.”
Angel: [pain/guilt in his voice] “I need to talk to her. I need to tell her...”
Father Dunn: “It’s not the time for that now. She is in too much pain—too much turmoil. It must continue its course. They must FEEL it.”
Angel: “Who are you?”
Father Dunn: “Someone who may be able to help. I am simply a channel for them.”
Angel: “The Powers?”
Father Dunn: [not answering] “You must be quite special to be loved by such a creature as Miranda. Let’s have a look [He puts his hands on Angel’s face—he feels it like blind people do]. Hm. Please, show me your demon face.”
Angel: “Why?”
Father Dunn: “I need to show them. Please, if you want to ease her pain, you must do as I say.”
Angel complies. The priest slowly explores the ridges of his face with his fingers.
Meanwhile, inside the church, Gunn is sitting next to Miranda on the pew. She’s sitting up now, but still clenched and teary.
Gunn: [looking around] “Got to hand it to you—when you get mad, you get things DONE.”
Miranda: [wiping her tears away] “I feel too much. That’s my problem. After 140 years, you’d think I’d have built up a decent amount of scar tissue, but I still feel more than most.”
Gunn: “Maybe that’s what makes you special—that’s your thing.”
Miranda: “But it hurts so much, I don’t know how long I can take it.”
Gunn: “It’ll get better, right?”
Miranda: “I never told you about death #11. [Writer’s note: they have a thing where M tells G all of her ‘death’ stories—she has a list of every time she’s “died” in the human sense, i.e., her heart has stopped beating.] Self inflicted. After Cal died, I couldn’t take it—I needed to escape for a few hours.”
Gunn: “You knew you’d be back, right? No shame in that.”
***
[back outside]
Father Dunn: “I see the curse. Your soul is transient. Do you wish it to be permanent? Is that your desire?”
Angel: “Yes.”
Father Dunn: “The debt must be paid. Then you will be free. [more concentration] Let me see what I can do.”
***
[back inside]
Miranda: “Tell him I’m sorry. I know that it’s not his fault.”
Gunn: “You can tell him.”
Miranda: “Nah. It’s too much. [beat] Maybe before I leave.”
Gunn: “Where’re you going?”
Miranda: “Anywhere. Yes, tell him I’ll see him before I go. I need to figure some things out first.”
Gunn: “Yeah, OK.”
**
[back outside]
Father Dunn: [disheartened] “I’m sorry. It’s too heavy—too much. They will not agree.”
Angel: “Thanks for trying. [pause] I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
Father Dunn: [sympathetic] “I’m sure she knows.”
**
[inside]
Miranda: “And give him this.”
She pulls at the cross pendent on her necklace until it becomes detached from the chain. She wraps it in a handkerchief and hands it to Gunn.
***
[outside]
Father Dunn: [He’s just starting to remove his hands from Angel’s face, when he jerks back slightly] “The debt has been lightened. The soul will be yours.”
Angel: “What does that mean?”
Father Dunn: “Continue on the path and your debt will be repaid. [smiling] There is hope for you now.”
Angel: “I don’t understand.”
Father Dunn: “You will. When it is time. You can go inside now. [Angel gives him a skeptical look] Go on.”
Angel, looking confused, stands up and walks in through the front door of the church. He gets a few steps in, sees the carnage and then comes face-to-face with Gunn, who is walking towards him.
Gunn: “She took off. Not ready to see you yet. She wanted me to give you this.”
He hands Angel the handkerchief. Angel unwraps it and sees the cross, which appears to be slightly glow-y.
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Violently Happy