Immortal Beloved..." CXIX...

PG 13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down! It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (119) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

This one's a single...IB99 and 100 and others are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/index.html, scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

***

LA...Set of "Ugly Betty"...

This week Nathan Lane being guest star, naturally it's the musical episode...

"Ok...Look, I cannot do this..." "Betty" in self-defined 'nice work outfit', braces proudly prominent, throws up hands... "I'm sorry Mr. Lane..." nod to Mr. Lane standing by "Henry" -Mode magazine junior accountant and would-be object of her affection... "But I don't sing...I take call, I type, I run Daniel's errands and even make excuses to his girlfriends..."

"Oh?..." Lane eyes said "Daniel"...Who tries to look casual...His "sister Alexis" beside him grinning...

"But I don't...Sing..."

"I sing!..." "Mark", pixie-ish minion of the evil Wilhelmina, eagerly pushing in...

"Great...When I need another Broderick, I'll call you..." Lane brushes him off...He returns to "Betty"...

"Betty...Darling...It's simple..." he pats her shoulder... "You just imagine yourself in the shower...You sing in the shower...We all sing in the shower...My career started in the shower..."

"No, I don't..." "Betty" nervously waves hands... "Uh...Not since my family asked me to stop..."

"Do it for Nathan, Betty..." Lane nudges her... "And for Henry our Bloom stand-in here who can't seem to take his eyes off you..."

Sudden crash from behind stage set momentarily startles and interrupts the cast but the shooting resumes quickly...Several people quietly coming in from round the back, avoiding the shooting area...

"The new girl..." an assistant barely hisses to the director who sighs briefly...

"Ummn..." "Henry" pushes glasses back, trying to help "Betty" at her pleading glance... "I was getting...Some information from her..."

"Uh-huh...Well then, lets just say..." Imperious look from Mr. Lane... "I'm Nathan Lane, king of Broadway...Guest of your employers and if I want you to sing with me...You sing!..."

"Uh..."

"Now if Betty doesn't want to..." "Daniel" cautiously tries a rescue...

"Sing!!..." Lane imperiously stamps foot...

"Ok, cut..." the director calls...All pause...

"Lets bring in our stand-in for Betty to run the number while America changes for the dream sequence...Ok..."

"I can do the run-through..." Ms. Ferrara frowns...As a short, slight young woman in brunette wig steps forward...

She's new...Hmmn...Familiar somehow... "Henry" thinks...

The director steps over to Ms. Ferrara, whispering...

"Ok, ok..." she pouts a bit but heads off, turning back to narrowly glare at her new stand-in a moment...Said stand-in flashing nervous smile...Uh....

"What's with our sweet angel..."..." "Daniel" now off-camera, whispering to "Mark"... Who shrugs...

"Right, now lets do this from the start of the dream sequence song...Henry, forward..."

"Henry" steps to the front of the stage...The stand-in behind him, watching him...

"Ok...And begin..."

"Henry", staring out at imagined audience:

"The urge to merge can rob us of our senses...The need to breed can make a man a drone...

We must be on alert with our defenses...For every skirt will test...Testosterone..."

(The kid is good...Lane notes quietly to the director..."Broderick took a year to get the song down pat...")

"So knowing this, I severed all connection...With any creature sporting silk or lace...

I was firmly headed in the right direction...

When suddenly I stumbled on...

That face...

That face...That face...That fabulous face...I mustn't be unwise...

Those lips, those nose, those eyes...Could lead to my demise...

That face...That face...That wonderful face...I really must beware...

I'm certain if I fall in Love, I'm lost without a trace...But it's worth it for that face..."

Shy smile...Though perhaps something behind it...

"That face...That face...That marvelous face...

I never should begin...

Those cheeks, that neck, that chin...Will surely do me in...

I must be smart...And hide my heart...If she's within a mile..."

"Is he seeing anybody?..." "Angela" hisses to "Mark"...Who shrugs...

"Man's a complete loner after work, I hear...Always has to get home right away to take care of his son, he says..."

Oh.

"Un...married, that much I do know..."

"Oh..." bright smile..."Say, what's with the new stand-in?..." Narrow look at stand-in eyeing "Henry" intently from her spot...

"Relative of somebody, I think..." another shrug from "Mark"...

Hmmn... "Henry" brushes away a sudden nervous sensation...Fortunately not missing a beat...

"If I don't duck...I'm out of luck...She'll kill me with her smile..."

The stand-in staring at him from the edge of the desk she's been positioned at...Blinking apologetically as the director waves to her...And flashing smile to camera as she rises and halts in place, stumbles a bit ...

"That face, that face...That fabulous face...It's clear I must beware...I'm certain if I fall in love...I'm lost without a trace...

But it's worth it...For that..."

Crash as the stand-in rushes over to him, grabbing him from behind... Cast members, staff looking at each other...Several grabbing for cell phones, most checking for previously noted safe hiding locations, this sort of thing not being all that rare in series television...

"William, William!!...Oh, William!!..." fervent kisses...

"Who the hell's William?..." Lane asks the shrugging director who standing, claps for quiet...

"What's going on here?!..."

"Buffy?..." "Henry" struggles to pull himself to his feet...Sheepish look to director and Lane, both frowning...Buffy, her wig askew, holding him tightly, kissing...

"I knew it was you!...First time I saw "Henry" on the show..." she babbled, kissing... "Giles wouldn't let Andy tell me about you...Then when Andy burst out crying when we thought Angel and his guys were gonna be wiped out and told me, and I forced him to send all the Slayers round to you, he lied to me, said you'd been destroyed by the Partners...Oh, why didn't you see me that night in Rome?..."

"This is classic..." Lane chucked at the pair, slapping thigh... "Kid, I've seen desperate attempts to break in but this one tops 'em all, except one I pulled once..."

"Is this in the script?...When did he get a dual role?..." from his chair "Mark" hissed to his sometime on-screen partner and occasional 'beard', "Angela" who was thumbing hastily... "I don't see any 'William'...What the hell's up?...They know each other?..." she hisses...A defeated look settling...

"You gotta believe me, William...I love you..." Buffy hugged the squirming William...

"Somebody know what's going on?" 'Daniel' asked several cast members... "Is this another script change nobody told me about?..."

"Yeah, yeah very nice...Can we hold the improv and get back to work, please?...Ms. Summers?... "Henry"?..." the director fumed...

Things I do to destroy my artistic career as a member of the Council... he sighed...Still, when the Slayer Counselor General tells you she wants work on your series as a stand-in...

Or else...

"Buffy...I am workin' here..." William hissed...

"So am I..." she noted... "Sorry, we're old friends...The song got to me...I'm ok now..." she called...

"Great...Can you manage the finish so we can move on to the next scene?..."

"I think..." "Alexis" noted carefully to "Mark" and "Angela"... "They know each other..."

"Brilliant...Who cares?...The cleaning lady knows the junior grip..."

"Angela" fumed back...

"Quiet!..." the director called...

"I wanna know where they get off with that little soap opera bit in front of Mr. Lane..." "Mark" continued...

"Yeah..." "Daniel" joined in... "If any of us pulled that..."

"SHUTUP!!!!" William/ "Henry" cried...All staring at him...

"Go on, miss..." he told Buffy, giving her a quiet smile...Which was returned...

"Presence...I like that..." Lane noted to the director...

"That face, that face...That lovable face...It melts my Slayer heart..."

"Slayer?...Is that right?..." "Daniel" looked round... "I've read "That Face" top to bottom for when I do Leo in summer stock this August and I've never seen 'Slayer' in there..."

"I'm certain if I fall in love...I'm lost without a trace..."

"Henry" and Buffy:

"But it's worth it for...

That face..."

(Hmmn..."That's new...I like it..." Lane nods to the stunned director... Oh?...Well, if Nathan Lane says it's good...)

***