Epiphany

Part 1

January 25, 2001 (Green)

Written by: Tim Minear

Teaser

A chunky "previously on" takes us through Angel's descent into his own personal hell. All culminating with Angel and Darla furiously making love. We end up exactly where we left off actually -- Angel astride Darla. The climax... of the story, I mean. And then it's back to --

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - ANGEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

LIGHTNING FLASHES

outside Angel's balcony doors, the curtains billowing into the room.

CAMERA TRACKS

over the debris and devastation of Angel and Darla's fight/sexcapades. Finally finding the bed, where now the violence has passed.

CAMERA GENTLY ARMS UP

to find DARLA asleep in Angel's bed, sheet pulled up around her naked shoulders, Angel sleeping next to her.

We linger on this for a moment, then...

ANGEL

wakes suddenly, violently sitting up INTO FRAME, clearly in terrible pain.

He looks back at Darla, and it all comes back to him. He pushes himself out of the bed, exits frame.

We hold on the bed as Darla wakes, blinks sleepily off in the direction where Angel went...

EXT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - BALCONY - NIGHT

Barefoot, wearing just a pair of pants, Angel stumbles out onto the balcony, clumsily pulling on a shirt. He drops to his knees. Hugs his arms around himself, rain beading on him as he shudders.

Darla appears now, emerging onto the balcony, the bed sheet pulled around her.

DARLA
No. Don't fight it, my love.

She looms behind him, looks down on him, not without compassion, but with cool satisfaction as well.

DARLA
Just let it happen...

He is facing away from her, but reacts to her presence behind him, confusion and pain in his eyes.

DARLA
It'll only hurt for a minute.

As THUNDER PEELS in the distance and lightning flashes --

BLACK OUT.

END OF TEASER

Act One

EXT ANGEL'S HOTEL - BALCONY - NIGHT

Angel on his knees. Darla slowly approaching him from behind.

ANGEL
(muttering)
Oh, god... Oh, god....

DARLA
Yes. Yes, I know. It was the same
for me. But it's only an echo. A
shadow. The soul is gone, but it
leaves a bitterness. It'll pass.

She moves toward him. He rises, twists away, faces her. Seeing her as if for the first time as she glides toward him.

DARLA
What you need is a fresh kill. Hot,
human blood will wash away the foul
memory of it. I promise.

She reaches out to touch his cheek. His own hand comes up to stay hers. He grabs her wrist, a handful of bedsheets between his hand and her flesh. A beat as they stare.

DARLA
What? What is it?

ANGEL
(in wonder)
You saved me...

A moment as she stares back, then smiles...

DARLA
Yes. But I was going to kill you
tonight. Take you out of this world,
the same way I brought you into it --
release that ugly soul finally and forever.
(then)
But then I didn't have to... you gave
yourself over so completely, Angelus.
In a way you never did in all the time
we were together. I felt you surrender.

He continues to stare at her. In awe of what has happened.

ANGEL
I gave you everything I had left...

DARLA
Yes...

Then:

ANGEL
I am... so sorry.

DARLA
You don't have to be --

ANGEL
But I am.

He takes her hand, now. Puts it to his face. His eyes never leaving hers.

ANGEL
I am sorry.

And now slowly, flickeringly, her smile fades. The moment grows as something horrible dawns on her.

DARLA
What?

ANGEL
I'm sorry, Darla.

DARLA
No...

She tries to pull her hand away, he won't let her yet.

ANGEL
You saved me... and I'm sorry I
couldn't do the same for you.

DARLA
Let go of me!

She yanks her hand away. Draws back, knowing now:

DARLA
You still have a soul --

He just looks at her, doesn't deny the charge. She backs up, back into the apartment, repulsed. He follows...

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - ANGEL'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Angel follows her in, keeps his eyes on her as he moves into the room. He's tucking in his shirt. Will pull on his shoes at some point during this. She's backing away, confused, gesturing randomly toward the rumpled bed --

DARLA
But we...

DARLA
...and you...

DARLA
Then I...

ANGEL
Yes...

ANGEL
I know...

ANGEL
Three times...

DARLA
(finally, blurting it)
You're not evil?

He says nothing. A kind of calm has come over him. When he speaks, it's all very measured, very unemotional. But not cold. She continues to stare, trying to grasp what's happened.

DARLA
I don't understand... Was I...
was it... not good?

He just looks at her, is that sympathy in his gaze? She looks at him, unbelieving and defiant.

DARLA
Well, I don't accept this. You
cannot tell me that wasn't perfect.
Not only have I been around for
four hundred years, I used to do
this professionally and that was perfect!

She reaches for his hand, tries to drag him back to the bed.

DARLA
We'll go again.

ANGEL
(not moving)
We can't --
(tugging away)
You know we can't. We're finished.

She whirls on him. Stares. Standoff.

DARLA
Finished? Why? Because you suddenly
decide? An hour ago...
(re: the sex)
You wanted this! I didn't seduce you.
You weren't tricked into anything.
You wanted this!

ANGEL
Yes. And it was perfect, Darla.
(then)
It was perfect despair.

DARLA
What?

ANGEL
You were the reason. You've always
been the reason. You're the thing
that made me what I am. I thought...
I thought if I could save you, I'd
somehow be saving myself. But I
was wrong. And when I failed...

DARLA
Stop it...

ANGEL
...when I failed, you saved me. And
I have to thank you for that...

DARLA
Shut up!

ANGEL
Because before tonight, the only
thing I cared about was my obsession
with you, Darla. And now... you may
be the only thing I don't care about.

Rage building inside of her.

DARLA
You bastard!

ANGEL
There's nothing I can do for you now,
Darla. I can't even hate you.

DARLA
You knew this would happen, didn't
you? You made me trust you. You
made me believe...

ANGEL'S MEMORY HIT

Angel listening to the answering machine in the lobby hours before, and... Kate sitting in her apartment...

KATE
You made me believe...

BACK TO SCENE

Angel is suddenly struck by the familiarity of those words. He turns away, moves for his coat.

ANGEL
We're done.
(his back to her)
Let yourself out --

DARLA
What? Where're you going?!

ANGEL
Something I have to do.

He's turned his back on her, slips on his coat. Darla goes ballistic with rage. She looks around the room, the debris there. She picks up a shard of wood, races after him --

Angel at the door, spins around, grabs her wrist. He could take her. A beat between them. He makes a choice.

ANGEL
You did me a favor tonight. Now I'm
going to do one for you -- get dressed
and get out. Because the next time I see
you, I will have to kill you.

He pushes her away, turns, then is gone. She is so stunned she cannot move. Off Darla--

EXT. LOS ANGELES - NIGHT

Big with the flashy cuts that take us to --

INT. KATE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

CAMERA TRACKS over spilled and empty pill bottles, a vodka bottle that's been knocked over... and nearby, a LIMP HAND and some tousled BLOND HAIR. There is a MUFFLED POUNDING on the door in the distance. The POUNDING continues, while...

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE KATE'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS

Angel POUNDS on the door. Juggles the knob. Locked.

ANGEL
Kate! Kate, open the door!

Nothing. He steps back, then BAM!, kicks the door in -- we move with him as he rushes to --

INT. KATE'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS

-- KATE'S LIFELESS BODY, lying there on the carpet. Angel gathers her up.

ANGEL
(just a whisper)
Kate...

Nothing. She's just as limp as a limp thing.

INT. KATE'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - SHOWER - NIGHT

Angel's hand twists the faucet knob. Water explodes out of the shower head --

WIDER

Angel and Kate, both fully clothed, as he holds her under the stream of water. Trying to get some kind of response.

They're both soaked to the skin. He's just holding her there. Full of anguish as he gently moves the wet and matted hair from her face.

A few beats of just the rush of water... then...

...she evidences life as she COUGHS and GAGS. The GAGGING becomes a PRE-LAPPED RETCHING as we CUT TO --

INT. KATE'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - NIGHT

The SOUNDS of RETCHING are present, now. Included in this frame -- the bathroom mirror/sink. Reflected in the mirror, the doorway beyond. Empty. Now WE HEAR a TOILET FLUSH.

Kate rises up into view, presumably from leaning over the toilet where she's been puking her guts out.

She moves to the sink, throws some water on her face, rinses her mouth. Looks at herself in the mirror. She looks like hell, but alive. Her eyes flick to the reflection of the empty doorway.

Now she turns away from the mirror, and WE PAN with her head turn, going from her and the reflection of the empty doorway to find --

ANGEL

standing in the doorway. Not having been reflected for he is a vampire, you see.

Kate glances at him --

KATE
(flatly)
Thank you.

And as she moves past him --

KATE
(without looking at him)
Now get out.

Off Angel --

10 AND 11 OMITTED

INT. LINDSEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

LINDSEY comes dragging in, still wearing the same clothes from the review, looking disheveled. But still wearing his jacket and tie in this scene. (When they come off later it will be a character point.)

He clicks on the light and reacts when he sees --

Darla, just standing in a corner, looking out the window, bathed in blue light.

LINDSEY
Darla --

She says nothing.

LINDSEY
I've been calling here all night.
Why haven't you answered?

He drops his briefcase, moves to her.

LINDSEY
Get away from the window.
It's not safe.

He gently moves her aside, peers out, not yet noticing her state --

LINDSEY
They called an emergency meeting
after what happened. The official
order on you is "stake-on-sight."

She wanders over to her "area." Evidence of her guest status here: women's clothing, some jewelry, etc... She just sits, turning something over in her hand.

LINDSEY
(distracted, closing curtains, etc.)
You should have told me what you
planned to do. I would have talked
you out of it... or... or helped you.
I don't know...

He moves to her.

LINDSEY
Things are going to be more
complicated for us now.

DARLA
(distant)
Yes. Yes, I believe they are...

He glances are her personal property, spread out in her area.

LINDSEY
We should probably clear your stuff
out of here. We can move it into my
bedroom... I think it'd be best for us if...

She says nothing, turning that item over in her hand.

LINDSEY
Darla? What's wrong?
(noticing now)
What is that?

He takes it from her. She lets him. It's the copper ring from episode 15.

LINDSEY
Where did you get this?

DARLA
(limply)
What's the difference?
Doesn't work, anyway.

LINDSEY
Of course it doesn't work. After
Angel stole it there was a dis-
enchanting ceremony. Took half
the meeting -- how did you get this?

DARLA
It was my payment.

That just hangs there for a beat. Then:

LINDSEY
Payment?
(big sinking feeling)
What are you talking about?

She hits him with a look.

DARLA
What do you think I'm talking about, Lindsey?

LINDSEY
I don't know...

But he does. He does know. He stares at her, not wanting to.

DARLA
Yes you do.

Lindsey's eyes fix into the distance.

LINDSEY
What happened?

She looks off, more to herself than to him:

DARLA
Nothing. Nothing happened.
My god... nothing at all.

LINDSEY
Darla -- ? Tell me. I have
to know...

She looks at him sharply --

DARLA
You want details, Lindsey? Is that
what you want?

A long moment as he stares and stares, and finally he's nodding "yes."

LINDSEY
Yes. I want the details. I need to
know everything. All of it.
(then)
What did he do to you?

A long beat until finally her eyes meet his. And before any kind of lurid confession can take place --

INT. KARAOKE BAR - NIGHT

The place is closed. Chairs up on tables. A BELL is RINGING. Someone's really laying on the buzzer outside. The HOST appears, wearing a bathrobe and slippers.

HOST
Alright, alright!

He shuffles to the bar, reaches underneath it and BUZZES in the visitor.

HOST
(muttering to himself)
I'm not deaf, you know! Geez.
Keep yer pants on!

During this last rant, Angel has appeared, entering, looking a bit forlorn. Timed just for the end of the Host's last line so he can see him at that instant and:

HOST
Ahhh. Well. I see we're a little
late with that advice...

Off Angel's sheepish look --

INT. KARAOKE BAR - NIGHT

Angel sits at a lonely table. The Host is at the bar, making drinks.

ANGEL
I probably should have killed her.

HOST
Feh. Kill her, give her cab fair --
whatever. Point is, you've turned
a corner. Well, yay, you! Zsu Zsu's
petals! It's about time.

ANGEL
Yeah.

Host carries the two drinks to the table.

HOST
Between you and me -- if it'd taken
you much longer to hit your bottom,
I was gonna kick it.

ANGEL
I'm still not sure I understand what
happened...

Host joins Angel at the table, settles in.

HOST
What's not to understand? You think
you're the first guy who ever rolled
over, saw what was lyin' next to him,
and went --
(recoils in mock horror)
"Gueeeyah!"
(then)
You're not.
(aside)
Believe me.

Angel sits, lost in thought. A beat as Host watches him, then, with compassion:

HOST
It's called a moment of clarity, my
lamb. And you've just had one.
Sort of appalling, ain't it? To see
just exactly where you've gotten
yourself.

Angel takes a beat.

ANGEL
I don't know how to get back.

HOST
Well, that's the thing -- you don't.
You go to the new place. Wherever
that is.

Angel looks at the Host. Weighs this, then he looks away again, can't meet the Host's eyes as he begins, slowly tentatively...

ANGEL
I don't know if I can. I've done...
things... questionable things.

HOST
Yes, you have. But you didn't kill
those lawyers, Angel.

Angel looks at him. The Host looks back.

HOST
That was slated to happen with or
without you. The Powers were just
trying to work it so it'd be without
you, that's all. You just... well.
You weren't much help in that
department, were ya, sparky?

A beat as Angel takes that in, anger bubbling up now...

ANGEL
I wasn't much help? If they wanted
me to stay away, why didn't they just
tell me?

HOST
Would you have listened? Besides,
what makes you think they didn't?
Over and over and, as for example, over?

ANGEL
They could have been more specific.

HOST
(clears throat)
Er... isn't this just the sort of 'tude
that got you where you are now?

Angel puts the lid on a potential rant. Fumes a bit.

HOST
I think I speak for everyone when I
say -- if all you're going to do is
switch back to brood mode, we'd
rather have you evil. Because then,
at least -- leather pants.

ANGEL
What now?

HOST
What do you mean?

ANGEL
How do I fix this? What do the
Powers want me to do?

A beat as Angel waits expectantly for the answer. Finally:

HOST
Does it look like I'm hearing voices?
Because I'm not.
(then)
I'm not your link with The Powers,
Angel. I never was. You got rid of
that when you fired your crew.

This resonates with him.

HOST
That's going to be the hardest part
of all this, you know.

ANGEL
Yeah...

HOST
And there is a chance, a good chance,
that you won't be able to put it back
together -- it just... well, it depends, really.

ANGEL
On whether they'll even talk to me.

HOST
No... actually it depends on whether
they live through the night.

Angel looks at him.

HOST
And I gotta tell ya -- at the
moment... the odds? Not good.

Off Angel, taking that in...

CUT TO:

EXT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

A tidy single family dwelling. A TAXI pulls up out front.

CORDELIA

alights from the taxi. Hoists her bag. Looks at the strangely quiet house.

The windows dark. All is quiet.

Cordy looks back to the taxi, but it's already pulling away.

Cordy takes a stroll up schmuck bait lane. She steps up to the front door. Rings the bell. Gets no response.

CORDELIA
Hello? Mrs. Sharp?

This time she tries knocking -- and as she does, the door, which was apparently ajar, creaks open. She pushes it a little further. Dark inside.

CORDELIA
Anybody home?

Cordy steps into...

INT. SHARP'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

Cordy enters. Moves in the creepy dark house.

CORDELIA
Cordelia Chase, here. Um, hope you
haven't gone to bed, already. Took
me a little longer to get here than I
expected. Hope that doesn't mean
you've changed your mind about
paying your bill --
(pull envelope out of her bag)
Which I just happened to bring
along with me...
(meekly)
Hello?

She comes around a corner, gasps now, reacting to --

CORDY'S POV

Looking into the kitchen area, where WE SEE the (tastefully) DEAD BODIES of the SHARP FAMILY: MISTER AND MRS. SHARP, THE LITTLE GIRL AND A TEENAGE BOY

CORDY

is about to turn to bail, but at that very instant --

CAMERA ROCKETS at her as she is hit with a VISION --

CORDY'S VISION

the jarring vision: cuts of CORDELIA herself, in this very house, and in the vision she's coming out of a vision, and turning to see a HORRIBLE SKILOSH Demon looming over her --

BACK TO SCENE

Cordy comes out of the vision, turns and find a HORRIBLE SKILOSH DEMON looming over her --

CORDELIA
(to the heavens)
Well, that was helpful!

And as the CREATURE ROARS and advances, attacking, BLACKING OUT FRAME --

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT ONE

Act Two

EXT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

To re-establish, as...

INT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

Cordy lies on the floor of the living room, just coming into consciousness.

She sits up, rubs her head, clearly she got conked pretty good.

CORDELIA
Ouch.

She starts at a crawling position, is about to rise -- but sees the Skilosh looming.

SKILOSH
Human.

CORDELIA
(startled)
Ahhh!

SKILOSH
Destroyer of our spawn.

Cordy does a double-take.

CORDELIA
Destroyer of your -- ?
(really not sure)
Have we met?

SKILOSH
The others. You will make them come
to us.

CORDELIA
Huh? What others?

SKILOSH
Three are responsible, three must pay.

CORDELIA
Look, I think you must have me
confused with someone else. I
haven't destroyed anyone's spawn.
Promise.

TWO MORE SKILOSH appear in the b.g. Say something in SKILOSH-SPEAK. The lead Skilosh moves to them. They CHATTER in SKILOSH-SPEAK. As lead Skilosh turns away from Cordy, WE SEE a THIRD EYE on the back of the demon's head.

CORDELIA
Hey! You've got a third eye on the
back of your head just like that
little girl did... before we...
(getting it now)
...destroyed your spawn... right.

The minion Skilosh finish reporting whatever it is they have to report to the Lead Skilosh. Lead Skilosh turns back to Cordelia.

SKILOSH
We have located the wheel-ed one.
Where is the other?

CORDELIA
(a bad feeling)
The wheel-ed one?

CUT TO:

INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Wesley maneuvers his wheelchair about his living room, tidying up.

He clears frame for a beat, revealing a window in the b.g., where...

A SINGLE EYE blinks into the house.

Wesley reappears, not noticing the eye, picks up more dishes, balances them as he moves off. The window is clear now.

Wesley rolls back toward the kitchen. Past another window, where -- TWO EYES peer in, the head turns -- SINGLE EYE.

ON WESLEY

Delayed reaction, registering the thing or things lurking outside. He drops the plate and glass, backs the chair up with surprising dexterity. Slams himself up against the wall, thinking, now.

CRASH! Window smashing offscreen. SOUNDS of demon breaking and entering.

Wesley rolls the chair in the other direction, to a closet. He reaches up, tries to pull the door open, then has to scoot back in the chair to do so. This done, he wheels forward, looks up to --

TOP SHELF

We can just make out a bit of a shotgun, wedged good and high up there.

CRASH! Another window breaks somewhere else. Wesley tries to rise -- too painful.

He sees a broom, grabs it, uses it to poke and prod at the top shelf. The shotgun starts to move a bit. He keeps at it, it starts to tip toward the end of the shelf.

More BREAKING and ENTERING SOUNDS.

Wesley's sweating. He's not well. This isn't easy. He pokes and prods with the broom handle. Finally the shotgun topples from the top shelf and lands in his lap. He winces in pain.

Another SOUND. Something closer. Wesley strains to turn his neck, to see behind him. He looks back to the shotgun, cracks it open -- empty. He looks back up to --

WESLEY'S POV

Of that damned top shelf -- a box of SHOTGUN SHELLS visible there.

WESLEY

grabs the broom again. Gives the thing a good prod -- and the box of shells comes tumbling down -- opening and spilling ammo all over the floor.

Wesley reaches down, his finger tips just barely brushing the floor, as...

More scary offscreen SOUNDS.

Wesley strains and strains, manages to sweep up a couple of shells. He drops them into the shotgun, snaps it shut.

Wesley braces himself for the worst. Backs his chair up , careful to keep all corners in plain view. He's taking aim, now, waiting...

BANG! The front door, right behind Wesley explodes open --

Wesley spins his chair around, finds himself aiming at --

-- ANGEL, who's standing there.

WESLEY
Angel --

ANGEL
Invite me in.

WESLEY
What?

ANGEL
I've never been here before, Wesley!
You have to invite me in!

WESLEY
That's true, you haven't...

Wesley draws himself up, a bit defensive and offended.

WESLEY
Well. Perhaps if you'd shown more
interest --

Behind Wesley, and he can't see this, SKILOSH #1 is emerging from around the first corner, while...

ANGEL
(pointing)
Wesley!

SKILOSH #2 appears smashing in through a window behind Wesley... Wesley twists his neck around, sees the converging demons, his eyes widening, as --

WESLEY
Yes! No! Absolutely! I invite
you in! In I invite you!

Angel bursts through the threshold, and it's hand-to-Skilosh combat in Wesley's living room. As Angel engages both Skilosh, Wesley does his best not to get trampled --

ANGEL
(in between blows)
Do you know what these things are?

WESLEY
I believe the third eye indicates
adult Skilosh -- though this is the
first time I've occasion to --

ANGEL
(trying to keep up)
How do you kill 'em?

WESLEY
Well, there are a number of ways. Of
course, one prefers a tidy incanta--

ANGEL
(getting his ass kicked)
Wesley!

WESLEY
Right! Yes, um, hack it to pieces!

Angel fights the things, dancing back toward a wall where Wesley has some MEDIEVAL WEAPONS mounted. He pulls one off the wall and now he's really going to town.

Thrust, parry. Etc. Angel's taking both on while Wesley continues to try and not get smooshed.

Angel finally lands a killing blow, slicing right at the (off screen) neck of one of the things -- SPLAT! Disgusting yellow Skilosh gore speckles the wall.

The other Skilosh, however, is diving at Wesley, who brings up his shotgun, as --

-- the Skilosh is airborne, coming down toward Wesley, but now --

KA-BOOM! Wesley fires off the shotgun.

Gross Skilosh jello-remains ker-splat on him. Also, lots of ceiling plaster rains down on the room. The Skilosh? He falls over, dead.

WESLEY
I think I got it.
(then, glancing up at ceiling)
I can only pray Mrs. Starns wasn't at home...

A beat. Some aftermathy heavy breathing. Now Wesley and Angel look at each other. Slight smiles playing on both their faces. Then Wesley's slight smile? Gone. As:

WESLEY
(oh, yeah -- I don't like you)
What are you doing here?

Off Angel, not about to get a "thank you" --

INT. LINDSEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Darla sits a little zombie-like on the bed/couch. Lindsey sits near to her. Space between them. It's a tableau. The post "we've got nothing to say to each other" moment.

And filling it all up: the ringing silence.

We hold on this for a moment. Finally Lindsey rises. Pulls off his suit jacket, tosses it. Moves off. Darla, a little out of sync with Lindsey's departure, glances absently toward where he went. But only absently -- she's in her own head space.

A beat or two and Lindsey returns. Tosses a set of keys on to a side table. Now he looks back at her, his jaw set. She doesn't return his gaze. He turns to a closet, pulls it open. Starts rummaging around inside.

ANGLE FROM INSIDE CLOSET

Lindsey in foreground, digging around in the closet. Darla is in the b.g., sitting, staring into nothingness.

On one side of the closet: a section devoted to Darla's hanging clothing.

Lindsey continues to dig, comes up with a pair of shit-kicker boots. Well used and worn, but they were in the back. He hasn't had occasion to put them on recently. He looks at them, sets them aside.

He stands. There's something in his eyes, a grim resolve. Now he tugs at his tie. Loosens it, then yanks it off with finality. And as he does, he slams the closet door shut INTO FRAME... BLACKNESS.

EXT. LOS ANGELES - VARIOUS - NIGHT

On the closet door slam some FLASHY CUTS that bring us to --

INT./EXT. ANGEL'S CAR - MOVING - NIGHT

Angel drives; Wesley's in the passenger seat, cell phone to his ear. His wheelchair has been loaded into the back seat. Finally Wesley clicks off his phone.

WESLEY
(re: phone)
She's not picking up.

ANGEL
She wasn't at home before, either.
(off Wesley's look)
I went by her place before I stopped
by yours.

WESLEY
Oh. Did you?
(indicating the road)
Just keep going straight.

ANGEL
So, I , uh, guess you're probably
wondering why I'm, you know, back...

WESLEY
Hadn't occurred to me. There'll be
a right turn coming up shortly.

ANGEL
I know how to get to your offices,
Wesley.

WESLEY
Oh, of course. You did pop by.
Stole a book.

Silence for a beat as they drive. They hit a bump. Wesley winces. Angel notices.

ANGEL
I'll try to avoid the bumps.

WESLEY
I'd appreciate that.

More silence. Strained.

ANGEL
You know, it's kinda funny, I
recently got a gut wound myself.
(beat)
Recently.

Wesley's just looking over at him, deadpan. Angel keeps trying.

ANGEL
Not a gunshot, like you got there,
but, uh, it was kind of a rusty...
antique... sword.
(beat)
Is what it was.
(beat)
Went deep.
(nothing)
Yes it did.

Oh, but he could just not care less for the bondy attempts at the moment.

ANGEL
(after a beat)
Guess who stabbed me?

WESLEY
(immediately and oh-so-dryly)
Darl-la?

ANGEL
Yeah.

Angel fidgets. Then --

ANGEL
Anyway. Kind of a funny story,
because the reason I had this
whole epiphany...

Angel glances over at Wesley, still doing that "boy could I ever not give a shit" thing.

ANGEL
...you really don't want to hear
this, do you?

Wesley stares.

ANGEL
You're mad at me, aren't you?

Wesley stares.

ANGEL
You hate me.

Wesley stares.

ANGEL
Alright, so why don't you tell me
about these Skilosh demons?

WESLEY
Very well. We, at Angel Investigations,
were recently contracted by a family
to investigate the sudden appearance
of a mysterious third eye on the back
of their young daughter's head --

ANGEL
Really?
(then)
You kept the name?

WESLEY
What?

ANGEL
"Angel Investigations." You kept
the name.

WESLEY
We're going to change it. But if you
must know, we felt we had as much
right to it as you.

ANGEL
Oh. I mean, "Investigations," okay.
But, come one --
(points to himself)
Angel.

WESLEY
Yes. But whatever good reputation
that corporate name enjoys, is due to
all of us. Not just --
(mimics cadence)
"Angel."

ANGEL
I guess that's fair. Go on.

WESLEY
In any event. I diagnosed the girl's
condition as infection by a Skilosh.

ANGEL
(a little wistful)
With your books?

WESLEY
Yessss...

ANGEL
(he means this)
You were always so good with those
books. Made it look easy. It's not.

Wesley's doing the stare again. Angel not scoring any points.

WESLEY
Skilosh, a notoriously violent, a-
sexual, self-replicating species of
demon, has the distasteful habit of
implanting its demon spawn into the
cranium of a human host.

ANGEL
Ouch, huh?

WESLEY
One of the key diagnostic symptoms
being, of course, the tell-tale third
eye on the back of the host's head.

ANGEL
That would be a give-away, wouldn't it?

WESLEY
If the condition is not arrested in
time, a newborn Skilosh will erupt,
full-grown, from the skull of its
human host. This is, of course,
fatal. For the human host. Not
the Skilosh. Obviously.

ANGEL
But you guys, you cured the little girl.

WESLEY
Yes we did.

ANGEL
And now the Skilosh are trying
to kill you.

WESLEY
So it would seem.

ANGEL
Still, you did a good thing.

WESLEY
Thank you.

ANGEL
Welcome.

Driving in silence for a few beats. Then --

EXT. LOS ANGELES - NIGHT

Flashy cuts take us to --

INT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

Cordy watches, as...

Lead Skilosh demon confers with a Skilosh minion. More of that eerie Skilosh CHATTERING. She'd try to make a break for it, but that back eye is blinking at her, watching her.

Lead Skilosh now turns, moves back to her.

CORDELIA
So I'm guessing "hey, look behind
you" not really gonna work, is it?

SKILOSH
Two more have been destroyed.

CORDELIA
(thinking the worst)
What? Oh, no... Wesley, Gunn... you
killed them! They were all I had left!
You horrible, ugly, three-eyed..! You
killed that sweet family, and now you've
murdered my only...

SKILOSH
Three must pay.

CORDELIA
Huh... Pay?
(realizing)
Oh! Two of you have been destroyed!
(relieved)
Okay.
(off the angry demon)
Oh, that's bad.
(trying)
I'm sorry.

SKILOSH
More must rise.

Suddenly Cordy finds herself being held from behind by two Skilosh minions.

CORDELIA
Oh, oh, oh, oh, wait a sec -- guys...

SKILOSH
More must rise --

Lead Skilosh is approaching her, now.

CORDELIA
No, no, no. No more must rise. Honest.

It opens its mouth and now --

CORDELIA
Listen, I was impregnated with demon
spawn once already, and let's just say --
didn't work out.

--a snaky looking spawn-prong thing slithers out.

It's horrible.

CORDELIA
(really getting scared now)
Oh, god. Please don't do this... I
can't have spawn bursting out of my
head. Not now. I just finally got my
hair to where I really like it --

The minions force her head forward, pushing her hair back.

CORDELIA
Stop it! No! Let go!

She struggles and struggles but it's no use.

The Leak Skilosh lowers its head and the spawn-prong connects, making a horrible CRACKING noise on the back of Cordy's skull...

CORDELIA
Please! Please don't do this!
Please!

And off Cordelia's SCREAM --

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT TWO

Continue on to Part Two


 

Epiphany

Part 2

January 25, 2001 (Green)

Written by: Tim Minear

Act Three

INT. OFFICE - NIGHT

The door is open. Wesley, in his wheelchair, sits not far from the open door. CAR HEADLIGHTS glance over him. He squints at that, peers out into the night.

Angel emerges from the back.

ANGEL
She's not here.

WESLEY
That doesn't bode well.

Again those HEADLIGHTS wash into the room. Wesley rolls closer to the door, watches.

WESLEY
That's the third time that truck's
circled the block.

ANGEL
(still looking around)
Well -- maybe she's just out. On a
date, or with friends or something.

WESLEY
That's unlikely.

ANGEL
It is Friday night, Wesley.

Wesley turns his attention to Angel.

WESLEY
So?

ANGEL
So? We are talking about the same
Cordelia Chase, right?

WESLEY
That's correct.

ANGEL
Well, knowing her...

WESLEY
(abruptly and simply)
But you don't.

This stops Angel.

WESLEY
You don't know her at all. For
months now you haven't cared to.
Otherwise you might have realized
that our Cordelia has become a very
solitary girl. She is not the vain and
carefree creature she once was.
Well... certainly not carefree.

Wesley does not break his gaze, his eyes searing into Angel with quiet, steady authority.

WESLEY
It's the visions, you see. The
visions that were meant to guide you.
You could turn away from them. She
didn't have that luxury. She knows
and experiences the pain in this
city -- and, because of who she is,
she feels compelled to do something
about it. It's left her little time for
anything else.

Angel has absolutely nothing to say at this point. His face is saying it all. He {fells} like shit.

WESLEY
You'd have known that if you hadn't
had your head firmly up your... place
that isn't on top of your neck.

A silent beat. Then:

ANGEL
We have to find her.

WESLEY
We agree. She could be in
grave danger.

ANGEL
And even if she's not.

Wesley and Angel meet eyes for a beat. An unspoken understanding between them. The moment is broken as --

ANGEL
(sensing it)
Something's coming --

WESLEY
Turn off the lights. The Skilosh may
have followed us here.

Angel does. He and Wesley fall back into the shadows. Angel picks up the axe he pulled from Wesley's wall. Some tense moments here, and

A FIGURE

enters the room. Pauses...

Wesley turns the lights on, Angel comes out with the axe poised. Doesn't do the follow-through, because --

WESLEY
Gunn!

Gunn has appeared. He flashes Angel a glance. Not the friendliest of glances. This is one telling look. Otherwise, he's mostly not paying a lot of attention to Angel.

WESLEY
What are you doing here?

GUNN
I was passing by. Saw the lights
were on. Besides -- I work here.

WESLEY
But... I thought you'd gone.

GUNN
Well, yeah, I'd gone. Doesn't mean
I wasn't coming back.
(getting it now)
What? You didn't think I was gonna
abandon you like this guy, did you?

Gunn has cocked a casual thumb back at Angel. Wesley feels silly for even considering that, now.

WESLEY
(grins)
No. Certainly not.

Gunn brings his hand down and Wesley grasps it. Gunn and Wesley do a rather complicated "brother shake."

GUNN
You know you my man.

Angel just watches in horrible fascination.

ANGEL
You, uh... you guys have bonded,
I see.

GUNN
Happens when you fight shoulder-
to-shoulder.

WESLEY
(re: the new height difference)
Or rather "hip-to-shoulder," these days.

GUNN
Man took a bullet for me.

WESLEY
It was nothing.

They do that hand shake thing again. We all want them to stop. When they finally do:

GUNN
(aside to Wesley)
So what's he doin' here?

ANGEL
I went to the Host at Caritas. He
said my friends were in danger.

A dry beat, then:

GUNN
(back to Wesley)
So what's he doin' here?

WESLEY
(minor eye-rollage)
He had an "epiphany."

GUNN
Ah.
(then)
Saw you turning off the lights and
hiding -- what's up with that?

WESLEY
There was a demon attack. At my home.

ANGEL
I saved him.

WESLEY
(ignoring that, to Gunn)
We thought perhaps we'd been followed.

GUNN
Demon attack?

WESLEY
Skilosh, I'm afraid.

GUNN
Eyes-on-the-back-of-the-head type
demon? Thought we got rid of that.

WESLEY
We did. Which is why I think we're
now being singled out as targets for
retribution from the tribe.

GUNN
Where's Cordy at?

WESLEY
We don't know. Not here.

Gunn has moved into the room, looks down on Cordy's workspace.

GUNN
You check her pad?

ANGEL
I stopped there earlier.

GUNN
You enjoying your visit to 1973?
(dryly, as he picks it up)
I meant her message pad.

ANGEL
Oh. Right. That's a good idea.

Angel, trying to be helpful, finds a pencil.

ANGEL
Here. Use this.
(mimes with pencil)
You can make a rubbing of the
impressions she left, see what the
last thing was that she wrote --

GUNN
Or we could just read the carbon --

ANGEL
Or you could do that.

GUNN
(off message pad)
Directions.

Interested, Wesley rolls his chair forward.

WESLEY
Let me see --

Gunn shows him the carbon on top of the pad.

WESLEY
Yes. I know that address.
It's the Sharp's...
(off Angel's look)
The home of the family whose
daughter we treated.

Gunn flips through the messages on the pad.

GUNN
Looks like she wrote all this down tonight.
(then, to Wes)
You think she's gone there?

WESLEY
Why else would she have taken the original?

GUNN
What do you think they'll do to her?

WESLEY
While I hate to imagine, we must
be prepared for the worst. The
deocualtion powder is in my
desk. Get it.

Gunn retrieves a pouch of magic powder from Wes's desk. He and Wes turn toward the door. Angel hangs back with:

ANGEL
Guys, guys -- does it make sense that
she would go there in the middle of the
night without calling either one of you?

GUNN
They owed us money --

WESLEY
They owed us money --

ANGEL
(on the move)
Let's go --

Off that --

EXT. LOS ANGELES - NIGHT

Cuts of the flashy kind, taking us to...

INT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

Cordy, on the floor lying on her side, wakes with a gnarly headache. She rolls onto her back. That hurts even more. She sits up, wincing. She blinks in the dimness. All is quiet.

She sees this as a chance to escape. She starts to inch away. She moves until WE SEE...

... Lead Skilosh lurking behind her, lurking in the shadows. Her back is to him. But she reacts to his presence.

CORDELIA
Oh, god... you're still here. You're
not leaving, are you? And no one's
coming for me... no one's expecting
me anyplace... no one's gonna miss
me... and how come I can see you?

No CAMERA MOVES around Cordy. Close on her head... coming around to the back of her skull where... her hands appear, moving back the hair, feeling and revealing, A THIRD EYE BLINKS...

CORDELIA
Oh, no...

Cordy, no longer thinking about the hideous demon guarding her, gets up, runs to the mirror. Looks at her own face, then slowly pivots around to get a look at it herself...

...the third eye blinks back in reflection. Cordelia registers horror at this...

INT./EXT. ANGEL'S CAR - MOVING - NIGHT

Angel drives. Gunn's riding shotgun, Wesley in the back seat, his wheelchair folded up beside him. Gunn reclines, arm on the back of the seat, looks over at Angel.

Angel's been peering into his rearview mirror. Something nagging at him. Wesley notices Angel's distraction.

WESLEY
What is it?

ANGEL
I don't know. Nothing, I guess.

GUNN
(to Angel)
So -- you had an "epiphany," didja?

ANGEL
Yeah.

GUNN
So, what, you just wake up and -- bang?

ANGEL
Sort of the other way around.

GUNN
Well that's good. That's real good
you can have one of them.
(to Wesley)
Isn't that good?
(right away)
Because, you know, epiphanies -- they
handy. When you think you might be
havin' another one?

WESLEY
Gunn...

GUNN
No, no. I'm interested. You know,
an epiphany, they can strike at any
time. Could be it'll happen about
the time you run into one of them
lawyers again. You get all
"epiphanied off" right back at 'em.

ANGEL
No.

GUNN
No? You don't think so. Hmmm. Well
I hope you don't go havin' another one
before we get to Cordelia. I mean --
something happens to her, something
bad? I might just have me an epiphany.
(then)
I think maybe you need to be drivin' a
little faster. You know... just in case.

Silent stoic faces for a beat. Then --

WHAM! A SKILOSH drops out of the sky and lands on the trunk of the car.

Angel swerves, loses then quickly regains control of the car.

The Thing claws its way toward Wesley. Wesley tries to fight it off, but he's not fully mobile.

Gunn rears back on the dash board, brings his legs up and gives the thing a hard kick to the head.

Skilosh is knocked backward, falling out into the street.

Angel hits the brakes. The car screeches to a sideways stop in the street.

GUNN
(to Wesley)
You okay?

WESLEY
Yes. Angel...

Wesley's saying this because the Skilosh in the street has gotten back up, is coming back toward them.

WESLEY
Angel? We should probably go...

But Angel's not going, he's just watching the Thing, sees now --

OUT OF THE BUSHES

TWO MORE SKILOSH APPEAR. Converging.

GUNN
Yo, Angel?

Angel starts climbing out of the car.

ANGEL
You guys go ahead.

WESLEY
What?

ANGEL
Go. If we don't take them out,
they'll flank us once we get to
the house. I'll handle this, then
I'll meet you there.

Wesley and Gunn exchange unsure looks.

ANGEL
I'll be there. Get to Cordelia.
(then)
That's all that matters.

Gunn and Angel hold a look for a moment, then Gunn, well, guns it. Races off with Wesley, leaving Angel alone to face --

STREET

Angel approaches the three converging demons. In a lovely composition, we get the odds here. In the middle of the street, Angel alone on one side, the Three Demons forming a kind of triangle on the other.

Tenseness -tensiosity. This is shaping up to be a cool fighty fight. The Demons CLICK and CHATTER. A beat -- then they scatter, all directions, running away.

ANGEL

standing alone in the street. Huh? An enormous REVVING behind him. He turns, is BLASTED WITH LIGHT --

--THE HEADLIGHTS of a battered old tank of a PICK UP TRUCK. And it's coming right at him. And before we know what's happening -- WHAM! The thing hits Angel and plows over him.

Angel, on the road. Dazed. The Truck idles menacingly beyond, exhaust puffing out of its rumbling tailpipe...

INT. TRUCK CAB - NIGHT

A PLASTIC HAND forces the thing into reverse, and now --

EXT STREETS - NIGHT

Angel shakes his head, gets to a hands-and-knees position, but just barely, as... big SQUEALING RUBBER on the road as the tires spin and the Truck grinds into reverse... we TILT UP to see --

LINDSEY'S

determined face looking back over his shoulder, and --

Angel gets shakily to his feet and -- WHAM!

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT THREE

Act Four

EXT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

Gunn and Wesley have stolen up to the side of the house. Gunn peering in a window, Wesley sitting in his wheelchair below, can't see in.

WESLEY
What do you see?

GUNN
She's in there --

WESLEY
Is she..?

GUNN
Yeah. She's alive.

WESLEY
Are you sure?

GUNN
Oh, yeah. Her eyes are open.
All three of 'em...

WESLEY
Oh, dear.

GUNN'S POV

INT./EXT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

From this vantage we get a good, clean view of the layout. Cordy huddled over in a corner. Lead Skilosh looming. Now Skilosh Minions enter. Confer with Lead Skilosh.

EXT. SHARP'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

GUNN
Wait a minute... three more --

WESLEY
Eyes?

GUNN
Demons.

WESLEY
The tribe's gathering... the
gestation may be nearly complete...
We haven't much time.
(peers into the night)
Where is he?

Off Wesley's concern...

EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

Lindsey's truck SCREECHES in circles around the wounded Angel. Angel's dizzied by this. Plus he's been run over a few times already. He lurches, starts loping away. Tries to cut up onto a sidewalk.

Lindsey chases him with his truck. Throwing it into four-wheel-drive and bouncing up over somebody's lawn, gaining, gaining, and - WHAM! Hits Angel with the truck again.

INT. TRUCK CAB - CONTINUOUS

Lindsey's enjoying this as the truck is jostled by the Angel sized bump under it.

EXT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

Gunn continues to peer into the window; Wesley in his wheelchair looks nervously at his watch, scans the quiet street.

GUNN
That's gotta hurt.

WESLEY
It'll hurt more when the thing that's
gestating inside of her hatches, I
can assure you.

GUNN
Try not to use the word "gestate"
again and how long we gonna wait
for Angel?

WESLEY
(resolved)
We're not.

GUNN
Good.

WESLEY
Well, why should we?

GUNN
We shouldn't.

WESLEY
We've been doing fine without him,
haven't we?

GUNN
I'd say so.

WESLEY
Right. So he suddenly reappears,
orders us to sit and wait and we
just do it?

GUNN
Hell no!

WESLEY
For all we know he's had yet another
change of heart.

GUNN
That's true.

WESLEY
We'll not sit idly by!

Wesley forces himself, with great, great pain and stiffness, to a standing position.

WESLEY
We're going in there and we're
saving our friend.

GUNN
I say let's do it.

WESLEY
One thing --

Gunn looks at him.

GUNN
What's that?

WESLEY
I'm about to topple over.

Wesley teeters. Gunn puts a steadying hand behind his back.

WESLEY
Thank you.

Off Gunn, wondering how well this battle will go...

EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

Angel on the ground. Hurt. He crawls/limps forward, while --

THE TRUCK DRIVER'S DOOR

swings open. Lindsey's shit-kicker boots hit the ground.

LINDSEY

now dressed in jeans, wife-beater and flannel or denim. The cowboy that's normally disguised underneath those suits having come to the fore. Oh, yeah, and he's carrying a sledgehammer. He stalks toward the fallen Angel.

As Angel crawls.

LINDSEY
You're going to tell me everything.

BANG! Lindsey brings the sledge up one-handed, nailing Angel in the jaw. Angel's head snaps back.

LINDSEY
--everything you did to her.

BASH! Again with the sledge.

LINDSEY
--all of it.

SMASH!

LINDSEY
You're gonna tell me.

ANGEL
Why?

LINDSEY
I wanna hear it from you.

WHAM! Lindsey brings the hammer down against Angel's head again.

LINDSEY
Tell me!

BAM!

LINDSEY
Tell me!

BASH!

LINDSEY
TELL ME!

Angel rolls onto his back, looks up --

ANGEL
No.

CRACK! Lindsey brings the hammer down. Angel is knocked back. Lindsey looks down on him, breathes heavily. Fuck it. Now he turns, moves to his truck. Sets the sledge on the rim of the truck bed, reaches in, comes up with a stake. He's trying to grabble with stake and sledge, not easy with just the one hand. He turns --

--a battered and bloody Angel is standing right there.

ANGEL
I'm sorry, Lindsey --

And POW!, Angel slugs him. The stake and sledge hammer go flying. Lindsey staggers backward. As Angel drives him backward, and between each blow:

ANGEL
I really am --

POW!

ANGEL
I'm sorry she'll never love you --

BANG!

ANGEL
I'm sorry that you're gonna have to
live with that --

BASH!

ANGEL
I'm sorry I didn't try harder to help
you when you came to me --

BANG!

ANGEL
I'm sorry you made the wrong choice --

The final blow. Lindsey lands on his ass. Glares up at his enemy. Out of the corner of his eye he sees... the FALLEN STAKE. He makes a move for it.

Angel sweeps up the fallen sledgehammer. Angel brings the sledge down with mighty force. SMASH!

Busting Lindsey's fake hand into a hundred pieces.

Lindsey reacts, his good hand inches from the stake -- which Angel kicks away. Lindsey looks astonished from his stump to Angel.

ANGEL
Coulda been the other one. Just be
glad I had an epiphany.

Lindsey looks up.

LINDSEY
What are you gonna do?

ANGEL
(thinks a beat, then)
I'm gonna borrow your truck --

And before Lindsey can protest -- WHAM!, he gets an Angel foot in the head. He's out.

INT. SHARP'S HOME - NIGHT

Cordelia continues to cower before the looming Skilosh, still looking for a way out.

Cordelia reacts now as --

CORDELIA
Gunn!

Gunn emerges at a side door... And now, behind Cordy, on the other side of the room -- and I can't stress this enough -- behind Cordy, Wesley appears.

CORDELIA
(without turning to look)
Wesley!

WESLEY
We came to rescue you...

CORDELIA
I knew you would!

But a Skilosh Demon appears at the shoulder of each of them. Now we notice that their hands are tied.

GUNN
But then they caught us coming in the
back door.

Wesley wobbles. His demon minion steadies him

WESLEY
(to minion)
Oh, thank you.

EXT. SUBURBAN STREETS - NIGHT

Lindsey's truck, driven by Angel, races and bumps down the road, gears grinding...

INT. LINDSEY'S PICK UP TRUCK - MOVING - CONTINUOUS

Angel is all concentration and he downshifts, heading for the Sharp house, figures visible inside through the glass.

INT. SHARP'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

SKILOSH
More must rise!

More minions secure the boys. They struggle to no avail. Leak Skilosh opens his mouth, and out comes the hideous SPAWN PRONG...

GUNN
This gonna hurt?

CORDELIA
A lot.

Lead Skilosh turns toward the big windows as the SOUND of the APPROACHING TRUCK grows ever louder, and now --

EXT. SHARP'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

The truck bumps and rocks up onto the lawn, heading straight for the big windows of the front room, and now --

INT. SHARP'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

CRASH! LINDSEY'S TRUCK comes SMASHING through it --

All react. Lead Skilosh turns its head sharply, that prong waggling -- and -- BAM!, it's nailed with the truck. The body goes away, sailing off into pieces.

Angel hops out of the cab, sledgehammer in hand --

CORDELIA
Angel!

--and in a violent display, Angel smashes, pounds, clubs and dispatches all remaining demons. In the course of the fight, Cordy is knocked against a wall. She's out.

Gunn manages to pull a knife from his boot, even with his hands tied, moves to Wesley, cuts Wesley free, then Wesley returns the favor.

Angel brings down the last demon.

Gunn and Wesley have hurried to Cordy's side. Lift her to a sitting position. Wesley behind her, pulls the pouch of deoculation powder from his pocket.

WESLEY
(to Gunn)
Hold her steady --

Cordy is coming in and out of consciousness. Wesley sprinkles the powder on the back of her head, rubs it in.

WESLEY
(in Latin)
Come clean, be new, release the grip,
return to nothingness.

INSERT - The eye on the back of Cordy's head vanishes.

Wesley looks up to Gunn, nods, smiles. It's done. Now Angel joins them. He slips in there, taking Cordelia by the shoulders, concern etched on his face. She blinks, opens her last two remaining eyes, focuses on Angel. A beat as she registers this. Angel breaks into what he so rarely does -- a big ol' David Boreanaz smile.

ANGEL
Hi.

CORDELIA
(still a bit confused)
Hi.

ANGEL
You okay?

CORDELIA
No.

Angel reacts, smile going away, now.

ANGEL
You're not?

She looks at him, shakes her head "no," then --

CORDELIA
No. You really hurt my feelings.

They hold the look for a moment. She is the one that breaks it, rises. Gunn and Wes help her. She turns and walks away. Gunn and Wesley look to Angel, but only for a moment, they walk out with Cordelia.

Off Angel, alone in this devastated room... MUSIC COMES up on our soundtrack, now, A SONG. Something that the young people might enjoy. Something melancholy and cool, as...

EXT. LINDSEY'S APARTMENT - DAY

We're looking through the smashed windshield of Lindsey's truck, now parked by the curb. WE SEE Lindsey dragging up the street, beat to shit. Not unlike his truck, with demon goop and pieces of living room on the hood. Lindsey pauses by the truck, looks at it. Underneath the windshield, a note. He yanks it out -- "Thanks."

INT. LINDSEY'S APARTMENT - DAY

Lindsey enters the place -- it looks like he's been robbed. And he has -- Darla's area is cleaned out.

ANGLE FROM INSIDE CLOSET

As Linsdey pulls it open, the empty hangers in foreground where her clothes used to be. She's gone and he knows it. He slams the closet door shut into BLACKNESS...

EXT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - GARDEN - NIGHT

Angel and Kate sit together. She is drinking coffee. They sit a moment in silence. The mood is quiet, tentative, but there is an understanding between them, not obvious warmth so much as the unspoken trust of two people who have been through a war, and came out together.

Kate breaks the silence.

KATE
I feel like such an idiot.

ANGEL
("me too")
Lotta that going around.

KATE
I just couldn't... my whole life has
been about being a cop. If I'm not
part of the force... it's like nothing
I do means anything.

ANGEL
It doesn't

KATE
Doesn't what?

ANGEL
Mean anything. In the greater
scheme, the big picture, nothing
we do matters. There's no grand
plan, no big win.

KATE
(confused)
You seem kind of chipper about that.

ANGEL
Well, I guess I kind of worked it out.
If there's no great glorious end to all
this, if nothing we do matters... then
all that matters is what we do. 'Cause
that's all there is. What we do. Now.
Today. I fought for so long, for
redemption, for a reward, and finally
just to beat the other guy. I never got it.

KATE
And now you do?

ANGEL
Not all of it. But now I just wanna
help. I wanna help because people
shouldn't suffer as they do. Because,
if there isn't any bigger meaning, then
the smallest act of kindness is the
greatest thing in the world.

KATE
Yikes. Sounds like you had an epiphany.

ANGEL
I keep saying that. No one listens.

KATE
Well I'm pretty much convinced...
since I'm alive to BE convinced.

ANGEL
You, know, you don't have to be a cop
to be --

She holds up her hand, stopping him.

KATE
I'm okay. Anyway, I'm not... headed
for another pillathon. I'm... grateful.
I never thought you'd come for me.
But I got cut a huge break, and I believe...
I don't know what I believe, but I...
have faith. I think maybe we're not
alone in this.

ANGEL
Why?

KATE
Because I never invited you in.

A beat, as Angel thinks about that...

INT. OFFICE - NIGHT

Wesley doing paperwork. Cordelia moves to pick up a RINGING PHONE.

CORDELIA
Angel Investigations. We help the
helpless... how can we...

She trails off as she spots...

...Angel standing in the doorway. She and Angel meet eyes...

CORDELIA
...help you.

A beat. Wesley senses it, looks up. Cordy still has the phone to her ear. Gunn appears form the back room, reacts to Angel's presence. And awkward beat.

CORDELIA
(into phone, absently)
It's in the mail.

She hangs up. All eyes are on Angel, now. Then:

ANGEL
I'm sorry.

The other three don't offer greetings. Just exchange looks. Wesley steps forward.

WESLEY
Understood. However -- before you
say anything more, I should tell you...
we've all discussed it and none of us
feels we're ready just yet to...

ANGEL
It's okay, Wesley. I don't want you
to come back to work for me.

They react to that, surprised.

WESLEY
Oh. I see.

ANGEL
I want to work for you.

Another beat and more reactions.

GUNN
(dubious)
You wanna work for us?

ANGEL
Yeah, I do.

WESLEY
Why?

ANGEL
(simply)
I think I can help.

CORDELIA
How do we know we can trust you?

ANGEL
Guess I'll just have to earn that.

CORDELIA
No...

Everyone looks to her --

CORDELIA
No... NOOOOO!

CAMERA ROCKETS in on Cordy as she's hit with a VISION.

CORDY'S VISION: various elliptical spooky images culled from existing material, don'tcha know.

We come out of the vision VERY CLOSE on Cordelia. She's still reeling, coming out of it. She blinks at Wes and Gunn.

CORDELIA
The usual Big Scary. Rising up in a
housing project in Topanga.
(eyes shifting as...)
And... why is it I'm not on the floor
this time?

As we GO WIDER to see, and Cordy realizes, that it is Angel who has caught her. He's still steadying her.

ANGEL
I've got you.

A beat between them. While she is in his arms, this is not romantic. But it's warm, and it's tender. She rights herself. They separate.

She looks to Wesley.

CORDELIA
(re: Angel)
Maybe he should drive?

Wesley glances to Angel. Then to the others, nods, and:

WESLEY
Let's go.

Cor, Wes and Gunn head for the door. And as Angel follows --

BLACK OUT.

THE END