AtonementAndBlood2

Disclaimer: All characters, except for Johnny York, are property of BTVS. Johnny York is my own creation. I have fictionalized much of the worship of Cybele and Attis; no offense is meant to those who actually profess that religion.

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[Cut to Mr. Trick�s lair. Twenty vampires of all makes, models, and sizes sit watching Mr. Trick project computer images onto a screen. The first is a map of Sunnydale. Mr. Trick uses a laser pointer to show a green area on the map.

Mr. Trick: My sources tell me the primary slayer will be in this park tomorrow evening. We will go their directly after sunset and attack in force. She will be fighting a sorcerer or something and, thus, should be distracted.

[Mr. Trick loads a new image onto the screen. It�s Buffy standing alone in the school hallway.]

Mr. Trick: This is our target, Buffy Summers. Don�t be fooled by appearances, gentlemen. Many have tried to kill her, and all have failed. She�s more powerful than any slayer in memory. Don�t attempt to play with her or torture her. Just get her dead as quickly as possible.

Vampire 1: Twenty of us against one of her. I don�t see the problem.

Mr. Trick: Besides her strength, she never travels alone.

[He loads Giles� yearbook picture onto the screen.]

Mr. Trick (cont�d): Rupert Giles, her watcher. A rebel among the Watcher community, his unorthodox approaches have kept his slayer alive.

Vampire 2: All slayers have watchers.

[Mr. Trick ignores the vampire�s comment and loads Willow�s yearbook picture.]

Mr. Trick: Willow Rosenberg, not much for the slayage, but a developing witch.

[He loads Cordelia�s yearbook picture.]

Mr. Trick (cont�d): Cordelia Chase, occasionally mistaken for a slayer, she seems to perform no useful function. Nevertheless, I didn�t want to omit her. Plus, she is mighty fine to look at.

[Xander�s yearbook picture appears on the screen.]

Mr. Trick (cont�d): Alexander LaVelle Harris is the Slayer�s right hand man. Although he seems to be completely lacking skills of any kind, he�s dusted many of us.

[Next to appear in Oz�s yearbook photo.]

Mr. Trick (cont�d): This next one is a werewolf, so I hear, known only as Oz. I was unable to learn any other name for him. It�s not a full moon, but he still could be dangerous.

[Mr. Trick then loads a picture of Angel taken from a butcher shop security camera.]

Mr. Trick (cont�d): Behold Benedict Arnold. I�m sure many of you recognize Angelus�

[Cut to Johnny and Ethan�s apartment. Johnny relaxes on the sofa, running his Bowie knife through an electric sharpener. He�s back in his leather pants and still wears no shirt. The door buzzer sounds.]

Johnny (shouting): I�ll get it. (pause) It�s open.

[Giles slowly enters from the outside. Johnny doesn�t look up, just continues sharpening.]

Giles: I debated coming here. I hope I haven�t caught you at a bad time.

Johnny: No, just before sundown on the Day of Atonement. Perfect time. It�s not like I have anything important to do.

Giles: Sorry. I wanted to see you.

Johnny (impudently): Like what you see?

Giles: I understand your animosity.

Johnny: Good to know.

[Cut to outside the apartment. Buffy and Oz sneak up to a window partially covered by bushes.]

Oz: I�ve never been a big fan of shrubs.

Buffy: The lights are on; it looks like someone�s home.

[She kneels down to look in through the window. The Doberman, unchained, charges in attacking the snoopers. Oz jumps between Buffy and the dog and stares down the animal. The Doberman recognizes the dominance of Oz and backs off whimpering.]

Buffy (cont�d): Thanks.

Oz: Is anyone inside?

Buffy: Yeah. Johnny�s there talking to Giles.

Angel (entering): Your Giles? What�s he doing there?

Oz: Johnny�s his son.

Angel (incredulous): What?

Buffy: Hey, you sleep all day, you miss stuff.

[Cut back into the apartment.]

Giles: I had no choice. No, that�s not true. Maybe I could have worked something out. I don�t want to excuse myself and belittle you or your situation.

Johnny: With everything you say, you do, your mere presence in this world belittles me.

Giles: I want to apologize. I really don�t know what to say.

Johnny: It depends on why you�re here: forgiveness, morbid curiosity, hope that you can help your slayer.

Giles: I want to help you.

Johnny: You know you can�t.

Giles: I know.

Johnny: That�s what I said�you know you can�t help me�but you need to assure yourself that I�m not your fault and you need me to forgive you for whatever. Well, I am your fault and I�m not. I don�t forgive you and I won�t. But I will help you with your slayer. I lose all my power tonight. After the ritual is over until I complete tomorrow�s rite. 24 hours.

Giles: Why are you telling me this?

Johnny: I�m not lying.

Giles: No, I don�t think you are.

Johnny: You did for a moment.

Giles: You�re reading my mind?

Johnny: Yes.

Giles: Then, you know how I felt about your mother, how difficult it was for me to give you both up, how sad I was when your mother died, how much I wanted to meet you and get to know you�

Johnny (calmly): Bullshit, just for that last part. You dreaded meeting me. You were afraid I hated you. I didn�t. You were afraid I�d be disappointed in you. I might have been, probably not. You were afraid I wouldn�t fit into your lifestyle. Obviously, that wouldn�t have been a problem. You were afraid I�d disappoint you. I did and I didn�t.

Giles: I admire your intelligence, your abilities. You�re a fine young man. But you�re angry and imprudent. You�re involved in something I can�t condone, tacitly or otherwise. In the life you have chosen, you can hope for nothing in the future except a succession of orgies, joyless fits of insane excitement and unsatisfied desire, separated by periods of deathlike unconsciousness and hopeless remorse.

Johnny: Works for me.

[Ethan enters.]

Ethan: Ripper.

Giles: Ethan.

Johnny: Could you bring in Mr. Mojo?

Ethan: Eh, Mr. Mojo?

Johnny: The dog.

Ethan: What did I say last year�don�t name the sacrifice.

Johnny: Yeah, yeah, whatever. Get the dog.

Ethan: I swear you�ll drive me to an early grave.

[Ethan leaves.]

Johnny (to Giles): You can�t stop me. That�s not a threat, just the truth. You don�t believe that now, but that�s okay.

Giles: If we stop you, will you survive?

Johnny: I might, but it really doesn�t matter to you one way or the other.

Giles: The funny thing about telepathy is how you can let your own emotions cloud the clarity of your visions. You want me to be hard and uncaring, and that�s what you see. I have to stop you, but I will save you if I can. I would like you to have a future�with me if possible.

Johnny: Does the Hellmouth affect brain activity? Or have you always lived in fantasyland?

Giles: I do care what happens to you; I wish I could have seen you growing up.

[Johnny holds up the knife having finished the sharpening.]

Johnny: Well, time�s up. I have to go geld something. If you don�t want it to be you, I suggest you leave now.

[Ethan enters struggling with Mr. Mojo�s leash.]

Johnny (cont�d): Mojo, boy, down.

[The dog immediately quiets and sits.]

Johnny (cont�d, softly): Go now, Giles.

[Sadly, Giles leaves.]

[Cut to outside. Buffy and Oz watch through the window. Angel stands behind them.]

Angel: What�s going on?

Buffy: That poor dog. I can�t watch this.

[She stands up and turns away.]

Angel: So Giles is Johnny�s father?

Buffy: I still don�t understand that. Do you think he�s like Giles?

Angel: From what I�ve seen of Johnny�no.

Buffy: Giles himself at eighteen was not exactly a solid citizen. I don�t want to kill Johnny; I couldn�t do that to Giles.

Angel: In the end, you will do what you have to.

Oz: Okay, the ick part is over; you can look now.

[Buffy returns to her spot at the window. She and Oz watch the end of the Atonement ritual.]

[Cut to inside the apartment. Johnny carries a bowl of fresh blood over to the tree and kneels down. He cups his hands and dips them into the bowl, splashing blood over his face, letting it soak his eyes, mouth, hair.]

Johnny (as the blood drips down his face): I am your slave. O Holy Mother, Lady of Might. O Holy Mother Cybele. O Holy Mother Dindymus�s Queen. Grant that this house where I dwell, this body, may never know that madness thou canst send. Drive other men to frenzy�drive other men insane.

PART THREE

[Giles, Xander, and Willow are seated on Angel�s sofa just before sunrise. Willow, fast asleep, rests her head on the back of the sofa, her mouth hanging open. Xander looks at her with intense interest.]

Xander: I don�t understand it. I�ve banged the furniture, called her name, sung every Rodgers and Hammerstein song I could think of. She just sleeps through everything.

Giles: Why don�t you let her be? You don�t need to stay, you know.

Xander: I want to find out what it says. We worked a long time to find that.

Giles: It would be easier to translate without you belting out �I�m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair.�

Xander: What�s the problem? Willow said it was Greek; I thought you spoke Greek.

Giles: I do, but this is a dialect in which I�m not proficient.

[Oz walks in followed by Angel carrying a sleeping Buffy.]

Giles (cont�d): Any luck?

Oz: They didn�t leave, and Ethan stayed awake all night. Angel had to get back, and Buffy fell asleep so we decided to pack it in. Saw you there, Giles.

Giles: Yes, I thought it might help.

Buffy (half-asleep): Angel?

Giles: Let her sleep; she has a big day.

[Buffy snuggles in Angel�s arms. He leaves to carry her upstairs.]

Oz: So we�re at square one.

Giles: Not necessarily. Johnny told me he loses his power between last evening and tonight.

Xander: Why did you keep this to yourself? We�ve been here for three hours.

Giles: I was waiting for Buffy, but I guess we can work while she�s sleeping.

Oz: You believe Johnny?

Giles: Yes, the Day of Atonement reenacts the god�s death, the Day of Blood his rebirth. Between the two rituals, it makes sense that the god is dormant. I�m not sure, but I think I can understand why he told me. It seems there should be some ulterior motive.

Oz: And you think you know what it could be?

Giles: Possibly to increase our confidence to help assure Buffy�s appearance at the park tonight. We�ll know more if I am able to translate this text that Willow and Xander have located on the �Net. It seems to describe the original Phrygian rites.

Oz: Go, Willow.

Xander: Forget it; she�s gone.

Giles: I�m having some difficulty in translation. It seems to prescribe some sort of battle between the priest of Cybele and a female taking on the role of the goddess.

Oz: Buffy.

Giles: Johnny defeats Buffy, and the god will be reborn. His power will be renewed and increased, it seems. I can�t be sure until I get a clearer understanding of the text.

[Cut to a bedroom upstairs. Angel lays Buffy down on the bed and removes her boots. After pulling the covers over her, he kisses her lightly on the cheek. Buffy wakes up as he leaves.]

[Cut back downstairs. Angel reenters.]

Xander: So what�s the plan? Does Buffy fight him?

Angel: We can turn this place into a fortress, wait out the night.

Oz: Without his power, he shouldn�t be able to get inside.

Giles: You forget about Ethan. He has some power. Avoiding Johnny could be a risk. The attempt may be futile. And afterward, Ethan may seek revenge. I don�t want to place Buffy in danger, but the less dangerous path may be to face Johnny.

Angel: Will Buffy be killed in the fight?

Giles: No.

Angel: If Buffy wins or doesn�t fight him, what happens to Johnny?

Giles: I don�t know. He could lose all his power; he could die.

Angel: Are you sure that you don�t want Johnny to succeed, to defeat her? After all, if Buffy loses, she�ll recover. If Johnny loses, he may not.

Xander: Giles wouldn�t put Buffy in any unnecessary danger.

Angel: Giles?

Giles (solemnly): I don�t know. Often, the secrets of our hearts are unknowable to us. I won�t direct Buffy in this venture. Tonight, she will choose her own path.

Buffy (entering): Xander, what do you think I should do?

Xander (shrugging): I don�t know.

Buffy: Angel?

Angel: I thought you were asleep.

Buffy: Not anymore. What do you think?

Angel: It�s perilous either way.

Buffy: Oz?

Oz: He�ll be without powers, but you have no idea how strong that will make him. Ethan could come after you if you don�t go, or he may not. You have to choose what feels best to you. Which do you think is less dangerous?

[Cut to Buffy�s room at Angel�s. She wears a tank top and track pants. She is putting on her sneakers. Joyce sits on the bed, looking concerned.

Buffy: I�m going to fight him. That�s it.

Joyce: Why go looking for danger?

Buffy: Better to look for it than to let it look for us. I can�t spend the rest of my life hiding from Ethan. If I fight Johnny, then I�m in control. I win or I lose�either way it ends tonight.

Joyce: And if it kills you?

Buffy: Xander, Willow, Cordelia, and Oz will be there to be sure he doesn�t. And Angel will come as soon as he can.

Joyce: What about Mr. Giles?

Buffy: I don�t want him there. It would make it too complicated.

[Cut to downstairs. The last rays of the sun creep in through the upper window. Buffy enters to find the gang ready to fight. Cordelia, her hair back to normal, wears her �Rambo� olive green tank top and carries a dagger and her purse. Willow holds her spell book under one arm. Oz has a length of chain coiled around his shoulder. Xander, wearing a bizarre jumpsuit, holds a baseball bat. Giles sits alone on the sofa.]

Buffy: Xander, what�s with the outfit? You look very Tron.

Xander: Flame-retardant. I learned my lesson.

Buffy: Er, good. Okay, we�re off to see the wizard.

[The gang leaves, but Willow holds back.]

Willow (to the departing others): I�ll catch up. (to Giles) Are you okay?

Giles: Huh? Oh, yes.

Willow: I thought�maybe�you might�

Giles (not paying attention): Aren�t you going with the others?

Willow: I am. I just wanted to make sure you�re okay.

Giles: You can go.

Willow: I don�t think so. Do you want to talk about it?

Giles: No.

[Willow puts her book down on the end table and sits next to Giles.]

Willow: Then, I�ll just sit here for awhile. Why don�t you turn on the light, so we don�t have to sit in the dark?

[Cut to the garage outside Mr. Trick�s lair. The vampires start to pile into four limousines. Mr. Trick oversees the activity while Spike looks on in derision.]

Spike: Give my love to the Slayer now. I wouldn�t want her to think I�ve forgotten her.

PART FOUR

[Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, and Oz walk through the park. Buffy stops under a tree.]

Buffy: This is it. We met him here.

Oz: He�s not here.

Cordelia: I think we can all see that.

Xander: Can we have fewer comments from the girl who can�t say no.

[Johnny lowers himself from a branch of the over-hanging tree.]

Johnny: Ow. I wanted to make an entrance, but I think I got a splinter.

Xander: Oh, you gonna have mommy kiss it and make it better?

[Johnny shoots Xander a look of pure hatred.]

Oz: Xander.

Xander: What? (Remembering that Johnny�s mother died) Oh god.

Cordelia: So are we gonna fight or what �cause I�m looking forward to making him bleed?

Johnny: I don�t do groups. (laughing) Actually, come to think of it�but that�s neither here nor there. So, Slayer, are you up for a little one-on-one?

Buffy: We�re talking about fighting again, I hope.

Johnny: Just lose the entourage.

Buffy: Guys, over there. Step in if it looks like I�m in trouble.

[Xander, Cordelia, and Oz fall back. Johnny steps forward and backhands Buffy, who retaliates by kicking him in the groin. Johnny doubles over in pain.]

Johnny (catching his breath): Would you watch the kicking please? The priests of my religion used to be eunuchs. I�m not.

Buffy: No wonder you need magic to get girls if you use lines like that.

[Johnny tackles Buffy.]

[Cut to Angel�s mansion. Willow and Giles sit on the sofa.]

Willow (to herself): 53 is a lot, right? And 54�that nine times six or two times twenty-seven or three times eighteen. That�s more presidents than the US has had. I don�t think I know 53 people.

[Angel enters, buttoning a fresh shirt.]

Angel: Sundown. I�m off. (to Willow) How is he?

Willow: Quiet. Tell Buffy I�m sorry I didn�t go.

Angel: Sure.

[He leaves.]

Giles: I want Johnny to win and Buffy. And I want Johnny to lose and Buffy. I want to root for them both.

Willow: Buffy�s your slayer and Johnny�s your son. It�s understandable.

Giles: I�ve chosen her, or the idea of her, the world, over Johnny twice. I can�t do it again. I thought I could, but�

Willow: Maybe they�ll both be okay.

Giles: I know he has to be stripped of his power permanently. That kind of power could be disastrous for this world and Johnny himself. I wish I could be certain that preventing the ritual wouldn�t kill him. Damn! I worked on this text all day. I can�t get anything more out of it.

Willow: We did our best. Look what little we had to start with.

Giles: Yes, we didn�t have much. I must commend you on your research. We started with knowing only that the Day of Blood ritual would entail a surrender to the goddess, and we learned�

[Giles stops in the middle of the thought and picks up the text with renewed interest.]

Willow: Giles, what is it?

Giles (getting up): Of course. How could I have missed it? We have to find Buffy. Attis must surrender to Cybele. Johnny doesn�t have to defeat Buffy in battle. He just has to lose.

[Cut to the park. Buffy kicks a kneeling Johnny in the head. The rest of the gang stands observing the fight.]

Cordelia: This is pathetic. He�s not even fighting back.

Oz: I almost want to help him.

[Angel approaches the gang.]

Angel: What�s going on?

Cordelia: Buffy�s kicking warlock ass.

Oz: It�s kind of boring actually.

Xander: I wish I had some popcorn.

[Willow and Giles run up.]

Giles (breathless): Buffy! Stop!

[Buffy turns toward him as Johnny collapses unconscious.]

Buffy: I think that�s the easiest fight I�ve ever had.

Willow (panting): Bad.

Buffy: Bad?

Giles: The priests of Cybele in Roman times engaged in self-flagellation. The key that Ethan discovered was that a female needed to vanquish the priest.

Willow: He needed to you to beat him up.

Buffy: Whoops. I couldn�t have been told this before I did?

Xander: Wait, he has all his power back?

Giles: That�s not all. His power increases with each year.

Buffy: So, how do I stop him?

Giles: You don�t. Next year when his powers are dormant again, we attempt to halt the spring rites.

Angel: What do we do until then?

Willow: Pray that he doesn�t kill anyone or take over any small countries.

Buffy: Giles?

Giles: Willow is correct. Short of killing him now, there�s not much we can do.

[Everyone remains silent for a moment considering the possibility. Four stretch limousines drive into the park, over the grass, boxing in the gang, before anyone has a chance to react. The vampires swarm out and attack. Xander swings his bat into the nearest vampire. Cordelia slashes aimlessly with her knife. Willow starts to flip through the pages of her spell book. Finding nothing of use quickly and under attack, she whacks the vampires with the tome. Oz fends off three vampires by swinging his chains. Mr. Trick makes a beeline for Buffy, who observes the chaos trying to figure out a plan.]

Buffy: Didn�t anyone bring a stake?!

Cordelia (out of breath): We weren�t supposed to be fighting vampires.

Willow: We�re always fighting vampires.

[Buffy runs away from Mr. Trick toward Xander. She grabs the bat from his hands and slams it down on one of the limousines, splintering the shaft, creating two usable stakes. She tosses one to Xander and keeps one for herself. Four vampires corner Angel against the tree trunk. He jumps to the lowest branch and pulls himself up. He breaks off twigs and throws them to Willow, Cordelia, and Oz. Only Giles, who is the farthest away and surrounded by vampires, remains stakeless. Those with stakes begin to dust but are still badly outnumbered. Buffy squares off with Mr. Trick. The four vampires around the tree drag Angel to the ground. Two vampires pin Giles against a limousine while a third moves in for the bite. In the confusion, Johnny has regained consciousness and surveys the scene. Without hesitating, Johnny raises his arm, and a stream of fire flies from his hand and incinerates the vampire about to dine on Giles. Johnny then begins to pick off the other vampires. Everyone, human and vampire and Oz, are momentarily stunned by Johnny�s actions.]

Willow: Goodness.

Buffy (swallowing): Gracious.

Xander: Great balls of fire.

[Mr. Trick slams into Buffy and the fighting resumes.]

Willow (to Johnny): Glad you�re on our side.

Johnny: I like vampires even less than witches.

[He winks at her. Buffy, wrestling under Mr. Trick, leans her head back and sees one of Angel�s four assailants rip a twig off the tree and return to Angel. She tries but is unable to break free of Mr. Trick. She notices Johnny is free of attackers, no vampire even close.]

Buffy: Johnny, Angel!

Xander: I�m not gonna say it.

[Johnny aims at the vampire about to stake Angel and incinerates him. Angel takes his own twig and stakes two of the others, while Johnny burns the fourth. Seeing their numbers so rapidly depleted by the efforts of the gang and Johnny, the remaining vampires retreat into a limousine. Mr. Trick, seeing his back-up about to leave, joins the others in the car, and they drive off. Angel reaches his hand down to Buffy to help her up. Oz and Willow hug. Xander and Cordelia look breathlessly into each other�s eyes. They walk toward each other, and, moving in to kiss, they turn quickly away, each shooting angry glances a the other.]

Cordelia: That outfit went out with the $6 million man.

Xander: Green�s not your color. It makes you look sallow.

Cordelia: How dare you call me sallow?

[Giles tentatively approaches Johnny, as the others fall silent.]

Giles: Thank you, Johnny, for saving my life.

[Unable to respond or understand his own actions, Johnny turns and runs out of the park.]

[Cut to the garage outside Mr. Trick�s lair. The surviving vampires exit the limousine as Spike watches. Mr. Trick emerges and catches Spike�s eyes.]

Spike (laughing): It�s good to be king.

[Cut to school on Monday. Buffy catches up with Xander, Willow, and Oz in the hallway.]

Willow: What�s up? We went to the library, but Giles wasn�t there.

Buffy: Apartment hunting. It�s a little crowded at Angel�s. My mom�s having someone look at our house today to make sure it�s okay to move back in.

Xander: Your mom and Angel in the same house can�t be good. That mansion just doesn�t seem big enough for the two of them.

Buffy: More like the three of us. I caught my mom and Angel chatting over coffee about a Pre-Raphaelite something or other. It was the freakiest thing I�ve ever seen. But then, my mom took me upstairs and gave me a big lecture about dating guys old enough to have met the Pre-Raphaelites.

Oz: How is Giles?

Buffy: He waited outside Johnny�s for hours, but Ethan was gone, and Johnny didn�t come back. Giles doesn�t want to talk about it.

Willow: That has to be weird, having someone you don�t know who hates you be your son.

Xander: Not to mention that whole he�s-a-god thing.

Buffy: He�s not really.

Xander: Not a god?

Buffy: Not Giles� son. Like Will said, Giles doesn�t even know him.

Willow: You�re right, I guess. It�s like Johnny�s only his son by an accident of blood.

Oz: No, I don�t think so. I think there�s a bond there none of us can understand.

Willow: Like when Johnny started to do, you know, that fire thing to save Giles?

Oz: Yeah.

Buffy: I wish I could do that fire thing. Slaying the fast, easy way. (pause) Does anyone know what a Pre-Raphaelite is?

[Cut to Johnny�s apartment. Giles stands alone in the living room, bare except for the big-screen TV and a few items on top. A sign on the TV reads, �For Oz.� Giles walks over and picks up the objects from the TV. A box of blond hair dye has post-it reading �For Cordelia.� Giles lifts up a framed photo of Jean Harlow with a post-it that says, �For Buffy.� A framed photo of a woman skating at Rockefeller Center has a post-it reading, �For Rupert Giles.� From his pocket, Giles takes out an old photo of himself and the woman ice-skating on a rural pond.

[Cut to outside the window. Johnny, wearing gauze bandages wrapped around both his hands, starts to walk away from the apartment. Before he reaches the street, he fades entirely from view, becoming completely invisible.]

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