End flashback
**
(scene cont’d)
Duncan: “Well she obviously didn’t have a positive effect on his mental state.”
Miranda: “Pshaw.”
Duncan: “How long between then and the Quickening?”
Miranda: “I don’t know—maybe a couple of weeks. We were passing close by on our way somewhere else and I did feel the tiniest bit guilty, so we decided to swing a bit closer to see how they were getting on. Obviously, she must have already left.”
Duncan: [skeptical] “Seems a bit convenient.”
Miranda: [shrugs] “Iunno. Someone had been following us that last night around town. Didn’t think much of it. Figured it was his Watcher or something. [beat] So could we start over, you think? I had this brilliant little speech about us all being adults and putting the past behind us, blah blah blah—oh, and I think there was clever line about us having almost a thousand years between us—related to us being adults and all. [trying to be cheery] I brought whiskey.”
Cordelia: “Ah, so THAT would be the foul smelling liquid currently spreading across the floor. Ick.”
She steps away from the stream coming from the broken bottle.
Angel: “Is drinking really appropriate considering the situation? We’ve got a lot of planning to do.”
Miranda: [eye-roll. Not looking at him—throughout this entire scene, Miranda never looks at Angel directly, even when she’s speaking to him)] “It’s meant for after we succeed. Traditionally, having the bottle in hand before the battle is viewed as good luck.”
They all look at the broken bottle on the floor for a moment, frowning. Gunn is about to say something, but Wesley gives him a look. Better left unsaid.
Duncan: “Maybe we SHOULD start again. [Pretending he’s seeing her for the first time.] Miranda—you’re looking well.” [He gives her a greeting kiss on the cheek.]
Miranda: [smiling warmly] “Hello, Duncan. Sorry about Prague—I’ve been rather moody lately.”
Duncan: [Looking at her bare arm] “What’s with the tattoos?”
Miranda: [Glancing in Angel’s direction, but still not making eye contact] “Heroine chic, darling. All the kids are doing it. You should see William’s.”
Angel: [angry/annoyed voice] “Speaking of Spike, mind telling me why you brought him along? This is supposed to be strictly business.”
Miranda: [casual shrug] “William does what he likes.”
Spike: “Miranda has a tendency to lose her mind whenever she comes to L.A., so for sanity’s sake I thought it would be best to tag along this time.”
Angel: “Maybe what she loses is dead weight.”
Spike: [still totally cool] “Oooh glass houses, mate.”
Miranda: “I seem to remember losing something in L.A. last time—now, what was that again?”
Duncan: [interrupting what looks like an escalating situation] “Perhaps we should get started. I brought a map of the docks where I think the sword will be arriving.”
Duncan, Angel, Miranda, Wes and Gunn all move towards the table where Duncan unfolds a map. He starts explaining things and bringing Miranda up to date on what they had been talking about before she arrived. Spike and Cordelia hang in the background.
Cordelia: [eyeing Spike] “You look different. Are you taller?”
Spike: [deeply sarcastic] “Yeah, Cordelia—after a hundred years of being dead, I just had a growth spurt. I HAVE been eating my Wheatabix.”
Cordelia: [Can’t stop looking at him] “There’s definitely something. [Looking more closely at his skin] Are you tan? [He just shakes his head] Different color...bleach? Colored contacts? I really think you must’ve grown—I remember you being really kinda small and...”
Miranda: [Overhearing, she breaks away from the ‘planning’ for just a moment.] “For goodness sake, Cordelia, he’s wearing Armani. [under her breath] The girl is like a bloodhound for expensive apparel.”
Cordelia: [surprised] “That’s it. [giving him another once-over] Armani casual. Hm.”
Spike: [getting annoyed] “Will you stop?”
The others are peering over the map. Miranda is careful to never be next to Angel—she keeps Duncan in between at all times. Cordelia wanders over to see what they’re looking at. Miranda points to something on the map—Angel stares at her hand. Specifically, a ring on her left ring finger catches his eye.
Cordelia: [Noticing the ring at the same time.] “Oooh, that’s pretty.” [The ring is platinum with a wide square of black onyx with a square diamond set in the center (tilted 45 degrees). The band has a narrow band of black onyx as well, with tiny diamond chips.]
Miranda: [stretching her hand out to admire it] “I think it’s the prettiest ring I’ve ever owned.”
Cordelia: “Seriously? Huh. I’ve never seen anything like it. Where did you find it?”
Miranda: [smirking slightly] “You’ll have to ask Spike.”
Cordelia turns to Spike.
Spike: “It’s an antique.”
Angel: [under his breath] “Probably lifted it off a corpse—that’s romantic. [Quickly changing the subject. To Duncan:] “So you’re sure it’s coming in on the 11 o’clock freighter arriving at dock 20?”
Duncan: “‘Sure’ might be too strong a word, but it fits with all of the information I’ve had so far. I’ll get the final details tomorrow evening.”
Miranda: “So what Immortals do you expect to show? You said you’d been able to dig up a few names of likely challengers.”
Duncan: “There’s just three that I know of for sure. A real piece of work named Trachys, another called Gaelin and uh...a third called Licia.”
Miranda: [shock] “Licia? Am I mistaken, or is that a girl’s name?”
Duncan: “Yeah, so?”
Miranda: “Hm. This is getting more interesting all the time. Is she a fighter or a girlfriend?”
Duncan: [Tiniest bit flustered—like he’s hiding something] “She can fight.”
Miranda: [eyes lighting up] “I’ve never fought another female Immortal before. She’s mine.”
Duncan: “Hang on a minute, we don’t know there’s going to be any fighting.”
Miranda: “Of course we’re going to fight. We’re sure as hell not meeting for a picnic. I’ve heard you talk about Gaelin and Trachys before—they’re not the sort to work through conflicts over tea from what I understand. And if Licia’s with them...”
Duncan: “She might not realize what she’s gotten herself into. We all might be able to keep our heads.”
Gunn: [smiling] “Figuratively AND literally, in this case.”
Miranda: [realizing something. To Duncan.] “You’ve slept with her, haven’t you?”
Duncan: “I don’t see what that has to do...”
Miranda: [stern] “Duncan.”
Duncan: “Yeah, well, maybe we had a thing a while back. I still don’t see...”
Miranda: [almost laughing] “Honestly Duncan, aside from me, is there a female Immortal you HAVEN'T slept with?”
Duncan: [At first, he looks all defensive, but then a wry grin crosses his face.] “There’s more popping up every day.”
Miranda: [smiling and shaking her head] “Well, there’ll always be me, I suppose. Something to count on for all eternity. Regardless, that settles it. She’s mine. You men are useless when it comes to dealing with ex’s and I won’t have your sentimentality jeopardizing our mission. Agreed?”
Duncan: “Fine. Although I do take issue with ‘useless’”
Miranda: [looking around the room] “Would you like me to start naming names, boys?”
They all look slightly uncomfortable.
Cordelia: “I think they get it.”
Angel: “Are the three working together?”
Duncan: “No. Gaelin and Trachys are rivals. Licia and Gaelin are an item, though. Not that Immortal relationships are ever a guarantee of anything.”
Miranda: [sarcastic] “We’re a real romantic lot.”
Gunn: “Yeah, I get that vibe.”
They continue to discuss plans for keeping the sword away from the Immortals, the priests and the rogue watchers. Spike is in the background listening in, but not actually participating. They work out a tentative plan involving a decoy [sorry, can’t be bothered to come up with the details right now]. Spike lets out a loud sigh/noise of dissatisfaction.
Angel: [turning to Spike, annoyed] “What?”
Spike: “It’s a stupid plan—if it works, it’ll be shear luck.”
Angel just shakes his head. Duncan looks concerned.
Duncan: “You have something better to suggest?”
Spike: [shrugs and starts walking over to the map] “They’ll be expecting a decoy. Instead of having one box with the decoy and Duncan carrying the real one, have two decoys in two boxes. They’ll assume one is the real one and it will tie up at least one or more groups while they figure it out. You have Miranda carrying the real sword, because you know they’ll assume that Duncan has it once they figure out that the boxes are both fakes—from what I hear, Immortals aren’t the most progressive lot when it comes to equal rights and won’t think that Duncan would trust a bird with it. You have someone over here (pointing at the map) keeping an eye on the priests, as they’ll be over doing some sort of hocus pocus. [shrugging] The rest of it’s [their plan] alright, I guess.”
Angel: “Maybe I should have the sword—even less likely they’d find it first off.”
Duncan: “The sword should be with one of us (Immortals). I think Spike’s right that they’ll figure I have it. At the very least it could buy us some time.”
Miranda is beaming with pride as she looks at Spike. They work on the details a bit more.
Gunn: “So the immediate plan is to take the sword directly to the church on Alexander Street.”
Wesley: “I think there’s another over on Broad Street, a few blocks to the west.”
Duncan: “We’ll still need to be careful, as the Watchers will follow us in—they don’t respect the holy-ground mandate.”
Miranda: “Just so you know, I can’t go in.”
Duncan: “Go in where?”
Miranda: “To the churches.”
Duncan: [crinkling his face in disbelief] “I don’t know what you mean by that—you won’t go in?”
Miranda: “Not won’t—can’t.”
Duncan: “Why?”
Miranda: “You want to field that one, Angel?”
Angel: [Frowning. Not explaining] “There’s a graveyard about a half mile north—she can retreat there.”
Duncan: [confused] “Whatever.”
Miranda: “So what then? What becomes of the sword once we get it?”
Duncan: “IF we get it. It was meant for Joseph, so...”
Spike: [to Miranda] “It’s yours, love. [to Duncan] Am I right? Line of succession or some such bollocks?”
Duncan: [concerned look] “Yes, technically, it belongs to Miranda.”
Miranda: “Isn’t that splendid. And to think we wasted all that time trying to figure out how to take it. [Catching herself, laughing.] Oops, did I just say that out loud?”
Duncan: [sigh—worried] “I’d like you to consider helping me destroy it. I think it would be best for everyone.”
Miranda: [a bit petulant] “Certainly best for you.”
Duncan: [about to plead the case] “Miranda, I...”
Miranda: “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Duncan. I’d already decided to take your advice. Whatever you think is best.”
Duncan: [seriously relieved] “Good. So we’re agreed. We destroy it.”
Miranda: [like a little kid asking for ice cream] “Oh, but can I at least use it to kill any others who show up? I’ll split them with you if you like.”
Duncan: [frown] “We’ll see.”
He can’t help but sense that Miranda is different from the woman he’s known for so many years—at the core, she’s the same, but so changeable and just “off” somehow. He doesn’t understand what’s happened, but it makes him a bit sad and worried—mostly for her safety.
Wesley: “Do you know how to destroy the sword?”
Duncan: “Not ‘till I get a good look at it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to just melt it down.”
Wesley: “I can bring a few books I have on ancient weaponry. We can do some research once we’re secure in the church.”
They discuss a few more details and then disperse for the night. They agree to meet the next day after sunset.
Miranda: “Well, then. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think tomorrow is going to be a right barrel of laughs.”
Gunn: “See there? Optimism. I like that.”
Miranda: “On other hand, the broken bottle and Xena’s untimely demise speak otherwise.”
Gunn: “Xena?”
Spike: “Don’t ask.”
Miranda and Spike head out first. Duncan stays in the conference room. Gunn, Wesley, Cordelia and Angel walk out to the shop area.
Angel: “You guys go on ahead. I’d rather walk back.”
Wesley nods; they can tell seeing Miranda was hard on him.
Cordelia: “Guys, I’ll catch up. [She stays behind while the others leave through the front door. She’s genuinely concerned] Hey, are you okay?”
Angel: [shrugs] “I guess so. [not] I mean, I don’t know what I was expecting. This wasn’t it. [pause for silent brooding] She wouldn’t even look at me.”
Cordelia: [understanding] “Speaking from experience, sometimes it’s a lot easier to be a bitch in these situations. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. Try not to take it too personally.”
Angel: [he just frowns/shrugs] “You should get going—those shoes don’t really look like they’re up for the walk back.”
Cordelia: “You going to be alright?”
Angel: “Yeah. I just need some air. [pause] Thanks.”
She leaves. He stands there for a moment and then quickly heads out the door.